A Gift of Love
by MarauderRiss88
Summary: 6 year old Harry Potter has nothing but a vague memory of being loved; of a life before he had been left at the hands of the Dursleys. One person hasn't forgotten, though, and when Sirius saves Harry from his abusive relatives, can he fix the damage done, and give Harry the life James and Lily wanted for him? WARNING-ABUSIVE DURSLEYS! Sirius never in Azkaban, Genius!Powerful!Harry.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form, do I own any of these magnificent characters. *Sigh*

A/N: This is a story I've been playing around with for a while, since I'm a total sucker for hurt!Harry and parental Sirius and Remus. Hope it's met well, as I have some fun ideas for where I'm going to take this!

The title for this story, as well as the title to this chapter, is inspired by the song "Gift of Love" by Randy Travis.

This is the only chapter that will be fully dialogue; the rest is written to my regular writing style. **Warning for abuse triggers in later chapters and language.**

Last but not least, I'm posting this today, because…

 _ **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY POTTER!**_ Yay!

Enjoy!

###

 _ **July 31st 1980**_

"What in the… _James_! It's three in the bloody morning!"

"Padfoot, it's time. It's bloody time, Sirius, _**Operation Prongslet**_ is underway and I am _freaking_ the _bloody hell_ out, so you gotta get the _bloody hell_ up, and get to the _bloody_ hospital, because Lily is _bloody_ well giv- _ouch!"_

Pause.

"The baby can't actually _hear_ me swearing, Lily-Flower, and I doubt it'll remember this anyhow! _OW! MERLIN! FINE! …_ Sirius! Are you getting out of bed and onto that bl-…that _damn_ bike?!"

"Uh…to be honest, no. I was busy being amused by whatever was going on with you and the lovely Lily."

" _The lovely_ …Merlin's sake, Padfoot, you'd better be _bloody_ joking, because if I am at the hospital _by car_ , before you can _apparate_ there, you're going to find yourself with a bloo-…Blimey!...a _bloody_ antler up your _bloody_ arse! _MERLIN, Lily, would you STOP punching my arm?!_ "

"Is it really wise to be yelling at the woman in labor, Prongsie? Also, why aren't you apparating?"

"Lil doesn't want to take a chance with the baby, now stop changing the subject! Get out of bed and _get to the_ _ **damn**_ _hospital_!"

"I'm already _here! Merlin,_ Jamie. Focus on the bloody road and I'll give the nurses and Moony and Pete a heads up."

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"I should be in there _with_ her, Padfoot! What in _Merlin's_ name am I doing _out here_?!"

"You _fainted_ in the delivery room, Prongs. I don't believe they took too kindly to that."

"…Right. Well. I think I'm calmer now, I've really got a handle on things again. I should _be_ there!"

"You're _calmer_ because _I_ had the foresight to bring some calming draught with me."

"Semantics, all of it, just semantics... You think the medi-witch will let me back in?"

"'Course. Just tell her that you _deer_ -ly wish to see your kid being born."

"…I bloody well hate you, Padf- _OW, damn it, Pads, WHY?!_ "

"No swearing around the kid, Jamie-boy."

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"Sirius…"

"James? Hey, is everything…is everything okay? Prongs?"

"It's…it's a boy, Pads. I have a _**son**_."

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	2. When you were born

Disclaimer: Nuh-uh. Though not from a lack of wishing it so.

A/N: Okie dokie, I promise my chapters will get longer after this one!

Title for this chapter once again comes from "Gift of Love" by Randy Travis.

Once again,

 _ **HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY POTTER!**_

 _ **Note: This chapter immediately follows up where the prologue left off.**_

###

 _ **July 31st 1980**_

Sirius Black exhaled a shaky breath of relief, finding his knees suddenly weak. As soon as his best friend went back into the room he'd emerged from, the long-haired man allowed himself to sink on to one of the chairs, trying to calm his previously racing heart. He hadn't wanted to show it to James, but since he had gotten that call, he'd been out of his mind with all the things that could have gone wrong. He'd managed to push it down in order to comfort his friend, but once James calmed down enough to be let back into the delivery room, Sirius had paced the length of the hallway too many times to count.

But everything was okay. The newest Potter was a boy, and – _Merlin_ – Jamie had a _son_.

Elation quickly followed the relief, and Sirius suddenly felt a burst of excitement, hoping that he'd be able to see the kid this morning already. Before he could contemplate the merits of sneaking into the room, he was distracted by a breathless whisper-shout of his name.

"Moony!" he exclaimed happily, uncaring of the noise that he was making. He was far too enthusiastic to take heed of any rule. "It's a boy!"

The eye-roll that Remus had been in the middle of, obviously exasperated by Sirius' disregard for hospital policy, immediately disappeared with that sentence. Instead, the werewolf's amber eyes glowed with unrestrained happiness that Sirius knew was reflected back in his own grey orbs.

"A boy?" Lupin smiled broadly, laughing a little. "That's…that's amazing! How's Lily? Oh, Merlin, how's _Prongs_?"

Sirius snickered, wondering how much of the early-morning happenings he should relay. "He's better now," he finally settled, finding himself unwilling to mock his best friend for the tumultuous few hours they'd had. The birth of the _most awesome kid in the world_ , was enough to overlook a little panicked antics. "I don't know how Lil is; they haven't let anyone except James in."

Rem sank down on the chair next to him. "I can hardly believe James is a _father_ ," he remarked incredulously.

"I know!" the Auror chuckled. "I can't believe we have solid proof that Lily Evans banged James ' _Arrogant-Little-Toe-Rag'_ Potter!" Remus snorted and Sirius grinned briefly, before getting caught up in his excitement once more. "And _the_ _kid_! I mean, we've been waiting _forever_ for him to show up, and now he's _actually_ _here_!"

His friend shook his head good-naturedly. "We've literally only been waiting nine months. That's hardly forever, Padfoot."

"Oh, come off it Rem!" Sirius scoffed, grinning brightly, unaffected by his friend's snarky attitude. "You know you're just as excited he's here."

A grudging grin pulled up the corners of the werewolf's mouth. "Fair enough. Think we can see him yet?"

"You _both_ can see him right now, if you'd like." James' voice cut into their conversation, his tone breathless and proud. Behind his glasses, his hazel eyes were sparkling with a mixture of tears and unadulterated euphoria, positively burning with the force of his happiness.

The gravity of the moment impressed itself on them all; Remus and Sirius moved forward simultaneously to hug James, and somehow, they ended up in one massive hug, James with an arm around each of their necks. The Marauders allowed themselves a moment, relishing in the feeling of family that they always had from each other, before they let go.

It was time to meet the newest member of their little family.

The first thing Sirius took notice of, was the bundle of blue in Lily's arms. Despite his excitement, he forced himself to hold it together, following dutifully behind James to the bed. The redhead smiled tiredly at them both, and even through the sweat and tear-tracks on her face, she had never looked happier.

"I expected you to sneak in as soon as James told you it was a boy, Black," she whispered teasingly to him. "You lost me a Galleon."

Sirius smirked impishly. "I was distracted," he explained in a long-suffering voice. "In the middle of planning my elaborate infiltration, I had to explain to Moony that the entire birth had already happened because he wanted to sleep in, and he Reducto'd his felly-tone."

"Ah." Lily nodded understandingly, amusement dancing in her green eyes. "I know how hard it is to wake Remus up when he's determined to sleep."

"You're both hilarious, really," Lupin deadpanned, only his eyes reflecting his own mirth. "How are you feeling, Lily?"

The redhead's smile turned soft. "I'm alright, Rem," she assured him quietly. "Especially now that I've gotten _him_ out of the deal." Lily turned her smile on to the baby, sitting forward gingerly. "Boys, meet Harry James Potter."

She shifted slightly on the bed, so that they could get a proper look at the baby, and the moment his grey eyes zeroed in on the tiny, sleeping boy with a tuft of trademark Potter, jet black hair, Sirius was floored.

He hadn't realized it was possible, for someone so _very_ small to have such an _immense_ effect on his life. The kid – _Harry_ , he reminded himself, because this was _real_ now and _fucking-Merlin-the-baby-is-actually-here-and-has-a-name_ – might not have been his own, in blood, but as far as he was concerned, Harry _was_ his, just as James was his brother and Lily, his sister. Baby-Harry was the Marauders' heir and their Legacy, all of theirs. They'd joked about it, sure enough, but standing in the room and looking at the sleeping baby, it finally dawned on them.

For all their joking, this kid really was as precious to them as one human could hope of being to another. For all the adults in the room, it was like a universal switch had been flipped, and their world suddenly revolved not around the sun, but around the oblivious, peacefully dozing little boy cradled in Lily's arms.

 _Love_ didn't even seem like a powerful enough emotion to encompass what was filling Sirius at that moment, an instant suspended in time.

"He's beautiful." Remus was the first to speak, his voice awed and loving as he reached out to carefully transfer Harry to his arms. Sirius watched in fascination, and a little bit of jealousy, as his friend carried the hours-old child in his arms with ease. Lily took the opportunity to rest, leaning against the support of the bed, while James looked an inch away from bouncing on his heels.

"He's gonna look like _me_!" James actually did bounce up on the tips of his toes then, and somehow managed to sound both overexcited and smug, while Remus whispered inaudibly to the sleeping bundle in his arms. "Hey, where's Wormy?"

The three Marauders exchanged glances. "I sent him a Patronus," Sirius supplied, coming out of his daze at the realization of his missing friend. "Maybe he's caught up with an Order mission?"

James nodded solemnly in acceptance and Remus returned his attention to Baby Harry, shifting him slightly in his arms.

Apprehension and a hesitation that was uncharacteristic of him, filled Sirius at the thought of holding the fragile, oh-so-breakable baby. The sheer amount of things he could do wrong, things that could make him unwittingly hurt the precious baby boy, kept him from reaching out or getting too close to Harry and Remus. In his heart, he had already promised the kid that he wouldn't let anything hurt him, so there was no way he was going to jeopardize that by trying to hold Harry without the proper instruction and a back-up plan ready if he somehow messed it up.

He was once again pulled from his thoughts by James, who elbowed him lightly. "What's up, Pads?" his best friend and brother asked him. "Don't you want to hold Harry?"

"And risk doing something that'll break or damage him?" he asked back incredulously. "Merlin, no. As soon as I figure out how best not to hurt him, I'll monopolize him so much you'll get sick of me."

"You won't hurt him, Sirius," Lily giggled as James and Remus traded smirks. "Just hold him like Moony is."

"Nope."

"Come on, Padfoot…"

"Not happening."

"Man up, Black!"

"Nuh-uh."

"I think I'm losing my grip on the baby…" It was Remus' sly voice that jolted Sirius into action.

"Better watch out, Moony," James piped up mischievously, "or you'll drop him!"

Now, if the dog-animagus had been any less enamored by the baby Potter, he might have registered the teasing grins both James and Lupin were sporting, or the fact that despite their words, Moony's hold on Harry hadn't wavered an inch. However, Sirius was too absorbed with the newborn to even consider that the words might have been an ill-advised joke; his eyes widening in horror, he jerked forward, his mind devoid of all thoughts except one:

 _Don't let Baby Harry fall._

Cradling his arms instinctively, he gathered the small bundle against his chest without even thinking about it. He set about making sure that he had a firm, but gentle hold on the baby, and that there was no way he could drop him, while Remus stepped back with a smug smile on his face.

Only when Sirius' heartrate returned to normal, did he realize that he was _holding the baby._

He let out a loud, shuddering breath, ignoring his friends' laughter around him. As if he were reacting to the commotion around him, the baby's eyes fluttered open.

Big, bright, emerald green eyes stared up at him, an almost curious look in them that Sirius thought was adorable. The tiny mouth opened in a yawn and equally small hands, balled in baby fists, reached out towards him.

Too captivated by the baby Potter to care about his friends, Sirius brought the baby closer to himself, nudging Harry's temple softly with his nose, in a gesture uncannily like his animagus form. "Hello, love," he breathed, his voice soft and almost reverent. "It's nice to finally meet you."

The baby gurgled as though he understood and Sirius laughed, catching one little hand in his own, much bigger one.

Inclining his head a little more towards Baby Harry, he added, in a voice inaudible to all but the newborn, "I promise I'll always catch you, love. And if ever I don't, then I promise I'll help pick you back up."

Harry blinked owlishly at him, as though he were enthralled by the vow Sirius had made to him. The dog-animagus swallowed back the emotion clogging his throat and straightened up. After a moment, the baby started to babble again, a heart-warming version of conversation, eyes still riveted on Sirius, completely comfortable in his arms. Remus and Sirius cooed over him, both men already in love with the newest Baby Marauder.

"Think I can have my son back?" An amused voice asked from next to them. James was grinning like a loon, but his hazel eyes showed his understanding of the feelings his friends were going through.

"Nope," Sirius declared decisively, moving carefully to stand next to Lily and aiming a mock glare at his two best friends. "I don't trust either of you with him anymore!"

"Yeesh," James huffed, but his eyes were dancing with amusement and happiness as he shared a secret smile with Lily. "Pretend to drop Padfoot's **Godson** _one time_ , and he suddenly can't take a joke."

Sirius opened his mouth to shoot back a retort, before his best friend's words registered in his mind.

 _Padfoot's…_ _ **Godson**_ _?_

He looked from James, who was grinning happily, to Lily, who was nodding warmly, to Remus, who was sporting a knowing and amused little smile. His throat went dry and he struggled to remember his words, barely able to comprehend what his brother was asking of him.

"My… _my_ Godson?" he asked, just to make sure, his voice hoarse with unchecked emotion. "You want me…to be _Godfather_?"

"Yes, Sirius." Surprisingly, it was Lily who answered, her beatific smile full of gentleness. The redhead didn't elaborate, but she didn't really have to. The trust she had in him – that he would love Harry like his own, for as long as he lived – was evident in her gaze, and the dog-animagus had to wonder whether he really deserved the faith the Potters had in him. While it was true that he would always love Harry more than anything, being a Godfather was about more than loving one's charge further than all the worlds.

His doubts must have been obvious on his face, because his friends turned solemn before he managed to voice any of them.

"You're my best mate, Pads," James told him, uncharacteristically firm. "You're like a brother to me. Did you really think I'd ask anyone else to be the Godfather to my first-born son? No offense, Remy."

His heart warmed at Prongs' clear sincerity, but his brother was missing the point. "I couldn't even carry him until Moony threatened to drop him, Jamie," he argued uncertainly. "What kind of…"

"You caught him." Remus waited until Sirius' attention was focused on him, before he continued. "I was kidding with you, but before you even let yourself deduce whether I was joking or not, you were there to 'catch' him. You put Baby Harry before anything and everything, even when you hadn't even held him yet." The werewolf smiled at him, encouragement and support being conveyed through his amber eyes. "James and Lily are just making it official now."

Even after all of their reassurances, Sirius still felt a throb of doubt pulse inside him. When a tiny fist suddenly brushed against his collar, he remembered the baby he was holding with a start. Looking down into the baby's green eyes, already so trusting and content, he was struck with a wave of determination.

 _They might be right, or they might be wrong, but I'm going to be the best Godfather I can possibly be,_ he thought resolutely. _For Harry._

He looked up at James and Lily. "Thank you," he said simply, his voice thick. "I promise I'll always be there for him."

James nodded, his face softening with a smile. "I know."

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If one were to imagine the kind of life this little boy would have, one would likely envision colorful candies, shiny toys, fun adventures, learning new things, hugs and kisses, and lots and lots of love.

In another world, this might have been.

But, alas; such was not the fate of one Harry James Potter.

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	3. I'll never give up (never on you)

Disclaimer: Not mine, although I fervently wish it was!

A/N: Thank you all for the feedback and great responses! I'm glad there are people interested in the story line I'm concocting! XD Your encouragement and feedback means more than you know!

 ** _Shout out to AliannelovesLiam! It was also her birthday when I posted this, so a very happy belated birthday, hon!_**

Once again, a warning for violence and abuse triggers, and a reminder that this is an AU story. I've taken some liberties with Harry's advanced intelligence, as I have no idea what it would be like in reality!

Thanks for reading!

 _NB: ITALICS INDICATE A FLASHBACK_

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 _ **~Six years later~**_

 _ **Present day  
**_

"BOY!"

Six-year-old Harry James Potter jerked into wakefulness at the sound of his tyrannous uncle's voice, a familiar fear striking him deep.

It was never a good day when it started off like that.

Uncurling his small body – that looked more 3, than its true 6 years old – Harry maneuvered his way deftly around the corners and edges of his cupboard. When he poked his head out of the small, inconspicuous door, he was knocked back into the measly excuse of a room, by a meaty fist that seemed to swing out of nowhere. The solid impact to his shoulder make the toddler cry out in both pain as surprise as he toppled backwards.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Vernon!" he responded instinctively. Whatever it was he was apologizing for, he wasn't sure, but it was a safe bet that he had done _something_ wrong.

His uncle sneered above him, a malicious look on his face. " _Sorry_? Sorry won't cut it today, you vile little _freak_."

No matter how many times the little boy heard it, he still flinched at the sound of the hate-filled voice and the insults that he was paid every day for a long time. He could barely remember a time when he hadn't been miserable and constantly in some kind of pain. At times, a glimpse of something or a certain scent would trigger memories of a beautiful red-haired woman, with a smile that made him feel safe in a way he never felt at Privet Drive, or sometimes the memories were of a laughing man with messy jet black hair the same as his own, who would carry him around and throw him up in the air. Even rarer, were the memories of three other men, who were almost always around the red-head and the laughing man. Harry didn't remember much about the three men; just that the long-haired man, that they all called Padfoot, loved to laugh too, and he always said Harry was his favorite, and the man with the pretty yellow eyes talked to him like he was a grown-up, and the scared, nervous looking man…well, Harry had never really liked him.

Even so, he longed to be with those people again, but in his 6-year-old mind, he had to wonder; did they really even exist? Were they his family, before he came to the Dursleys? Was it even possible that he retained some memories of a life before this one, and if that was his life, what had happened to those people?

Uncle Vernon had told him that Mummy and Daddy died in a car crash. But if that was true, what had become of everyone else?

Whatever the answer was to that, it didn't matter. They had left him, and he was here now. Abused, neglected, unloved and terrified.

As his uncle's fists rained down on him, little Harry Potter retreated to the safety of his mind, where there was laughing, happy men, a pretty woman, a big black dog, coincidentally also named Padfoot, and something called a Moony, and lots and lots of love.

It was the single, isolated place where his so-called family couldn't hurt him.

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"Merlin and Morgana, it's been _5 years_ , Albus! Surely _one visit_ will not throw the child off-kilter!"

Sirius Black rose from where he was seated, his entire body thrumming with a familiar frustration. Tears threatened as he met the sympathetic eyes of the headmaster. In response to his old friend's agitation, Remus Lupin stood up too, grasping the other man's shoulder in a weak attempt at comfort.

"I understand how you both must be feeling," Dumbledore started gently, but he was interrupted by Sirius' scoff.

"You have no idea." His glassy grey eyes filled with weariness. "You have _no idea_ what it's like not to be able to take care of him the way I promised my brother I would. I can't even see him! Harry is _mine_ , by both Magical and Muggle law, but you won't even let me visit him, just once, to make sure he's happy."

"My dear boy, this is for…"

"The greater good, I know," Sirius snapped, uncaring that he had interrupted once again. Behind him, Phineas Nigellas seemed to be appalled at his kin's lack of manners, but frankly, the Auror couldn't care less. "What about the greater good of my Godson, Albus? What about _his_ happiness, _his_ wellbeing?"

Remus cleared his throat and Sirius remembered his friend's presence. "Sirius is right, Professor Dumbledore."

The dog-animagus did a double take. Moony was blaming something on Dumbledore? Although granted, it shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise. The werewolf missed his cub something fierce, almost as much as Sirius missed his pup.

"James and Lily wanted Harry to remain with Sirius," Lupin continued, sounding determined. "If not Padfoot, then I was to be Harry's secondary guardian. Lily showed absolutely no desire for her son to be raised with Petunia, and that muggle she married downright abhorred James, so I highly doubt he would be too pleased with the arrangement of the past 5 years either." The lycanthrope took a deep breath, calming himself down, before he spoke again. This time, his voice held no condemnation; it was a simple plea of a tired man. "Just let us see him, Albus, please. Just once, if that's all you're willing to risk. We won't even tell him who we are. But for God's sake, _someone_ needs to check up on him."

"We just want to make sure he's happy," Sirius added, his tone resigned and somewhat helpless, two traits that were rarely, if ever, associated with the headstrong Gryffindor. "If he is, we'll leave him be. We won't intrude again unless he someday asks it of us."

It was obvious that the headmaster's will was crumbling. This was a battle they had fought almost daily in the five years since Harry had been left on the doorstep of Number 4 Privet Drive, after Sirius and Remus had managed to corner and capture Peter Pettigrew. For all the times they had fought, however, Albus had never seen Sirius as defeated as he looked just then.

"Very well," he relented quietly after a moment of thoughtful contemplation. The two remaining Marauders' heads snapped up in surprise, having not expected to be granted their wish. Dumbledore smiled in amusement. "You may see young Harry, on the condition that you not tell him who you are, nor try to convince him to come with you."

"Done," Sirius nodded quickly, not wanting the man to retract his offer for any reason. "But," he added with narrow eyes, "that only applies if Harry is happy and healthy."

The headmaster nodded agreeably. "Indeed."

A smile broke over Sirius' face, that he hadn't worn since Harry had been taken away all those years ago. Remus seemed to be sporting the same type of grin, both men ecstatic to see the baby boy who was so close to their hearts, even after not seeing him as long as they did.

Their absence from the young Potter's life had been through no desire or decision of their own. In fact, Sirius had ranted and raved and raged at anyone who came near him, when he was told that he could not have custody of the baby he considered his own, in all but blood. He had spent the better part of two years trying everything he could think of that would overrule Dumbledore's verdict, to no avail. Only when he had been informed, in no uncertain terms, that Harry was happy and settled where he was, and resistant to change, had he backed off, and even then, he had only changed his demand; to see the child to prove to himself that this was true. He would have snuck into Privet Drive to do so, thrice-damn the consequences, if not for the extra wards Dumbledore had erected, that kept out all magical persons that didn't have express permission to cross the barriers.

Dumbledore was many things, but slack, he was not.

Now, after five years, he was finally going to see the little boy that his world still revolved around. Sirius could hardly contain his excitement, and Remus – who was often the far more controlled of the two – also seemed to be unable to feign calmness.

"When can we see him?" Lupin asked, his eyes alight with a warmth that hadn't been there in _years_.

"And how long can we stay?" Sirius added.

"If he wants to, may we tell him we'll visit again?"

"Can we have regular visits?"

"May we bring him a present?"

"Can we bring him _loads_ of presents?"

Dumbledore held up his hands to stem the flow of enquiries the Marauders were firing off at him. "I think we can talk about more visits, provided Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are amenable, a present or presents might not be a wise idea, just yet, and perhaps we might make a quick visit right now? Presuming, of course, that you two are keen?" The headmaster smiled amusedly, his blue eyes twinkling.

"OF COURSE!"

"What Sirius means to say, Professor," Remus spared a fondly exasperated smile for Padfoot, "is that we would love nothing more, thank you."

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Hurt.

Everything was just a whole big bunch of hurt.

Harry bit down on his bottom lip to stifle a groan of pain, trying to muster up the courage to attempt to move. Even in his 6-year-old mind, he had experienced enough abuse at the hands of his relatives that he knew things were bad this time.

And by bad, he meant worse than the usual.

There wasn't a single part of him that didn't ache, and blood was still oozing from various cuts and bruises on his little body. His head was spinning and heavy, his tummy felt like he was about to vomit, and his left arm was bent in a weird angle. He remembered hearing the crack as his uncle snapped his arm, before the agony erupted all over him, making him pass out from it. Judging by the fact that he was on the floor, rather than on his bed, his unconscious form had probably been dumped unceremoniously into his cupboard once his uncle had realized that he wouldn't be able to hear Harry cry out any longer.

Not for the first time, the 6 year old wondered what he had possibly done to be so hated _._ It must have been something really awful,he had always figured. His uncle had always called him an "ungrateful freak" and though he had no idea what he had done to deserve the title, he truly felt remorseful.

 _I wish I knew what I did that was bad,_ he thought hazily to himself, fighting past the cloud of pain that surrounded his brain. _I wish I could make it better. I must have been real bad for Uncle Vernon to hate me so much,_ he reasoned, with all the logic of a toddler. _Maybe that's why the laughing men and the Moony and Padfoot left me._

Deciding that was probably the case, he nodded slightly to himself and immediately regretted the motion. Black spots erupted in front of his eyes and he bit back his gasp of pain, not wanting to alert his uncle to his wakefulness.

He waited for a moment with bated breath, half expecting to hear the pounding steps come towards his cupboard, and then sagging quietly in relief when that didn't happen. He didn't know where his relatives were, and that was alarming in its own way, but he figured he'd deal with that once they were in front of him, and not a moment sooner.

He shifted once more but a piercing pain in his side stopped him. It felt like he was bleeding, but after mustering up the energy to lift his ratty, oversized t-shirt, he uncovered only a big, dark red bruise across his side that seemed to be emanating heat.

Now, there was something special about Harry James Potter. It had started when he was about 3 years old, although to be fair, he hadn't realized it was unusual until he was 5.

Harry had an eidetic memory.

He could remember everything about anything, in perfect detail, without a single error. If he read something, he instantly understood it, and he never forgot it. When he and Dudley had gone to school, when they were five, the teachers had been baffled with him, unsure of what to do with a little boy who had already taught himself to read (courtesy of old Mrs. Figg, who always _read_ the books to him first so he could learn how to recognize and use the letters) and who could reason out mathematical problems all the way up to ninth grade level. They were even more baffled when, by the end of the week, Harry could understand basic Science too: Harry, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to their surprise, happy instead that there was someone who could teach him now, since it was far easier than learning on his own.

He hadn't realized that the word 'genius', when applied to him, was such a _bad_ thing. It was another thing that made him an ungrateful freak, he realized, when Uncle Vernon had beaten him black and blue for the letter he had come home with, from the principal, that weekend.

He had vowed to do better – start answering the tests wrong on purpose, pretend that he didn't understand the things they were trying to teach him – but Uncle Vernon, if anything, only seemed to get angrier. Nevertheless, he had never allowed himself to show what he had learnt ever since. It had disappointed his teachers, and he felt sad for letting down nice Mrs. Kinney, but then, he _was_ an ungrateful freak, he supposed.

It was the substitute teacher (Miss Diana) who was a taking a paramedics course, that had humored Harry and allowed him access to her textbooks, not knowing that Harry was capable of reading them. Reading that had become a lifesaver, literally, to the 6 year old, and it was how he knew that, although he did have broken ribs, their bruises weren't supposed to be hot to the touch.

He had internal bleeding.

That concept had always rather confused him – his blood was internal, which meant it was inside him, and wasn't that exactly where his blood was _supposed_ to be? – but the book had said it was a bad thing, so Harry guessed it had to be.

He wondered whether his aunt would help him if she saw he was really hurt. The complete opposite of Uncle Vernon, his Aunt Petunia seemed to just ignore his existence, only deigning him with her attention when she had some chore for him to complete. For some reason, this hurt even more than the beatings and the name-calling from his uncle; made him feel like he was nothing, not worth the dirt beneath her shoes. Not even worth acknowledging.

He tried not to think about why _she_ hated him; it was easier to focus on why Uncle Vernon did, because Aunt Petunia was Mummy's sister, and if she hated Harry, that could have been because he had done something to hurt Mummy. Maybe he had even made them crash in the car…

…but he couldn't bear to think about that, so he focused instead, on trying to fix his being an ungrateful freak.

He sighed lightly to himself. His body was sorer than the time his uncle had taken a whip to his back; although granted, he had only managed seven lashes before he passed out from the pain. When the pressing sting in his side started to affect his breathing, though, he wished he had been whipped instead of whatever Uncle Vernon's fists and belt had inflicted on him this time. Gradually, his breathing became more labored, and Harry realized with startling clarity that his breathing wasn't getting any easier. If anything, his chest was getting even tighter.

Panic began to set in, fogging his senses and making the breathing ten times harder as he fought to gasp. He knew, with some part of his superior intelligence, that his anxiety was only worsening the problem; that he might be able to take a breath if he could concentrate on that, rather than the horrifying realization that his chest was pressing in on itself.

Knowing something, was wholly different from being able to execute it.

In his short life, Harry had been privy to some horrid things; terrible abuse, and the kind of neglect that no child should ever have to bear. He had been terrified for the most part of 5 years.

Yet it was nothing compared to the stark and fervent fear that came when black spots began to dance in front of his eyes.

For some reason, he knew that those spots were different.

More permanent.

A coppery taste filled his mouth and despite fighting as hard as his little body could, the darkness was too overpowering.

It swept him away.

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" _The very cutest one? Right there, two from the right corner? That one!"_

 _Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm sure not_ _ **everyone**_ _needs to be told which baby is your Godson, Pads. In fact, I'd wager you're just keeping them from their day."_

 _The Auror made a face at his friend, before turning back to the amused medi-witch. "He's just being a tosser because he gets cranky if he hasn't had chocolate for a few days," he informed her, smirking at Remus' splutter of indignation. "Back to Harry!" he beamed, chest puffed with pride, turning back to face the glass partition that separated them from the babies._

" _What about Harry?" James' enthusiastic voice came over them as he approached, still near-bouncing on his toes. He grinned at the medi-witch in greeting, before launching into speech. "I'm his dad! He's the best baby there, isn't he? That's him over there, with the Gryffindor scarf." Prongs pointed him out, all but ignoring Remus' groan of exasperation._

" _So I've heard," the woman laughed warmly. "Your brother all but had his nose pressed to the glass."_

 _Sirius couldn't hide his smile at being addressed as James' brother; a mistake many people made thanks in large part to similar, inky black hair. More than once, Sirius had tried to make his hair messier, and James had tried to get his to stay straight, but even without that, most people assumed they were brothers by blood. Turning back to face the baby, his smile grew wider. "He's my_ _ **Godson**_ _," he stressed, still feeling a little rush of warmth at the word, "and I don't want him to wake up scared if he's alone."_

" _Good thinking, mate," James nodded solemnly, looking grave at the thought of his son being alone or afraid. "We should bust him out!" Hazel eyes gleamed with a familiar mixture of determination and mischief._

" _Lily will kick_ _ **both**_ _your prank-loving arses," Moony warned them with a grin. "Has it ever occurred to you that they keep the babies separately for a while, for a reason? To make sure they're healthy and unexposed to the rest of the hospital, so that they don't get sick before they get a chance to build up their immune systems?"_

 _The werewolf sighed as the two men simply blinked owlishly at him, a sure sign that they had stopped listening to him early on in his monologue. Prongs was quicker to recover, refocusing on Lupin._

" _What do you suggest we do?" he asked indignantly, pouting slightly at being robbed of the chance to wreak a little havoc. "We can't leave my baby Marauder alone!" James' expression was telling of the way he was positively scandalized at the very suggestion._

" _Prongs, Padfoot," Remus addressed his friends slowly, as though he were talking to toddlers, which sometimes felt not far from the reality. "Between us three, at least two of us will be hanging around him the entire time until Lily and Harry are both discharged. Not to even mention the medi-witches taking care of him. What in Merlin's name makes you think he's going to be alone in the first place?"_

 _James contemplated this for a moment before he turned to Sirius. "He makes a fair argument."_

" _Yeah," the long-haired man snorted indelicately in response, "doesn't he always?"_

" _He's a lucky kid, to have so many people who love him." Abruptly, the Marauders took note of the still-amused woman they had all but forgotten._

 _The proud father beamed in response. "Course he is, he's my son! And he's going to be the most loved kid in the whole world!"_

Sirius returned to the present with a jolt, as the gates to Hogwarts slammed shut. The memory of that day was still crisp in his mind, though it had happened six years prior. He still remembered the feelings, the sound of James' voice, the utter happiness Harry had brought into all their lives…

As he made his way towards the door, he sighed to himself, feeling nostalgic for those simpler times; when he had his brother, when his Godson was always just a floo or apparition away, when he had been convinced Pettigrew was a part of their family and would never betray them.

Though the times were so dark, it was still a sight better than some of his good days.

Sirius always felt badly for thinking that; after all, he was happy that the war no longer loomed over everyone's heads. No more death, no more senseless torturing and constant fear… which was good. Great, even. But he had lost so much, since then. All he had was Remus, and the knowledge that his Godson was alive. While he was grateful for both those things, and he undoubtedly was, he still sometimes wished time could have frozen on one of those nights when James, Lily, Remus, Harry and himself were just sitting in front of the fireplace and chatting, or playing some muggle board game that Lily loved, or even simply entertaining themselves with watching Harry's antics.

When things were at their worst, at least he'd still had his family.

Suppressing another cavernous sigh, he leveled his gaze on the headmaster, who was smiling bemusedly at them.

"I would have thought you two to be far more excited to see young Harry. Is something bothering you?" Dumbledore asked gently.

The Marauders exchanged a look, both knowing that it would be fruitless to argue about seeing Harry again in the future, before even seeing him for a first time.

"Nothing," Remus answered firmly, for them both. "Just anxious to see Harry again. The last time we saw him was five years ago."

Sirius couldn't help but to take one thing from that sentence: _you haven't seen your own Godson in five whole years. You've missed half his childhood._

The Auror winced, vowing to himself that he would find a way around Dumbledore's rules. There was no way this was going to be his only visit until Harry went to Hogwarts.

Nodding his acceptance, Albus held out an arm each to them. Sirius grimaced at the thought of the impending squeeze of side-along apparition; he gingerly took the proffered arm, screwed his eyes shut and focused on his Godson's face in his mind.

After a lifetime of doing it, the press on his chest no longer made Sirius nauseous, so once he landed on a pristine lawn that looked remarkably like every other lawn on the street, he was quick to compose himself. Remus, on the other hand, took a few moments longer, and the dog-animagus took the opportunity to look around.

He imagined, with the big spacious yards and the seemingly serene set-up, that a lot of families resided at Privet Drive.

 _At least Harry will have had plenty kids to play with,_ he thought to himself. _Not to mention his cousin. I wonder if they're close._

Now, mere seconds away from meeting his Godson again for the first time in half a decade, anticipation began to coil in his stomach, much like it did the night Harry was born. His excitement was near bowling him over and he could almost hear the delighted laugh that he missed so much; could almost see the bright and blinding smile that could turn any day perfect.

 _I'm about to see Harry again._

He couldn't have put a label on all the emotions running through him, even if he had tried to. From his side, there were no expectations or hopes at the moment; seeing his Godson was more than enough for him. It was everything, in fact.

He still had nightmares about the day he lost the green-eyed baby boy. When Hagrid had driven off with him, Harry's screams and cries of his name echoing through the otherwise still Godric's Hollow, and Dumbledore's firm and unyielding decision that Harry was to be raised with Petunia instead of him.

They were always the worst during July and October.

Remus had worried, at first jokingly, then more seriously, that Sirius had some sort of separation anxiety. Doubtlessly, he'd exhibited all the signs for it, and given the fact that he'd seen Harry for at least ten minutes, every day of those fifteen months, it wasn't entirely unfounded.

It was difficult to explain. He had no desire to keep the kid on a leash; in fact, when Harry was born, he'd made it very clear that he was going to have a hand in corrupting the kid to the more fun side of life. The key factor in all Sirius' plans, however, was always _his presence._ As long as he was there, he knew he could do everything in his considerable power to protect the baby from harm. From anything that might take away his precious smile or taint his carefree laugh into something edged in bitterness.

That was why it had been so inconceivable to him when Dumbledore had issued his mandate, forbidding him to see little Harry ever again. He had never gone more than a few hours without seeing the kid – even on Order missions, James had used the mirror and inevitably, Harry had gotten some face-time – so how could the headmaster possibly have thought that it would be a good idea to separate them? He knew Harry the best, and the only two familiar things left in the baby's world, were himself and Remus. Though there would have been sacrifices to be made, nobody disputed the fact that Sirius would happily have made them, and that the dog-animagus was the best choice to raise the last remaining Potter.

Unfortunately, Dumbledore remained unconvinced.

He had been of the impression, at the time, that Sirius was too damaged by his own loss, to care for another person, least of all a little baby. He had told Sirius to mourn his brother, his still-new sister, and to take some time to regain his feet after the rug had been swept out from under him. Dumbledore hadn't understood that giving Sirius Harry – allowing him to raise the baby that was the last remaining family he had outside of Remus – would have soothed his soul far more than the lonely isolation of a London apartment that seemed to have lost all its warmth when Sirius lost the man he had once shared its space with.

(That first week, the dog-animagus nearly went crazy with the ghost of James Potter's presence, that still seemed to permeate every space in the apartment.)

After he had gotten himself together, he had fought the decision again, but this time the headmaster had simply asked him whether he could bear to uproot the child's life for a second time in as many years.

The question had curbed his intentions far more effectively than if the old coot were to outright deny him.

And so he'd taken up his newest battle; to visit Harry. That was one he had never budged on, determined to be at least some semblance of the child's Godfather and make sure his Godson was being properly cared for. It had taken him ages, but he had finally worn old Dumbles down.

 _And, Merlin, I'm about to see Harry again._

By the time his thoughts had come back around, full circle, Remus had composed himself. The pair shared a grin of mutual excitement, before crossing the invisible ward around the Dursley property.

The joy, enthusiasm and blinding love that Sirius was feeling, quickly turned to dread, panic and terror in the space of a single horrified proclamation that left Lupin's lips.

"Padfoot… _I smell blood._ "

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	4. Safe (at last)

Disclaimer: Not mine. You can tell because of the unspeakable event in OoTP, which I still can't really talk about, that utterly broke my heart /3

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed or put this story on alert! Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

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Sirius didn't stop to ask questions. Some might have proclaimed it to be one of his flaws, and others might have dubbed it a quirk of his personality, but at that moment, all he saw it as, was a necessity.

If there was even a remote chance that his baby Godson was injured, he sure as hell wasn't going to stand idly by and wait for confirmation. However, as Remus was right on his heels, foreboding struck Padfoot as he realized that that action, in itself, was more confirmation than anything.

With a well-practiced flick of his wrist, his wand flew into his hand, and without care for the property damage, he aimed a potent, non-verbal _Reducto_ at the door. It slammed open, splintering in several places and half off its hinges, but Sirius couldn't care less, because at that moment, his own, slightly heightened senses (courtesy of Padfoot) picked up on what Moony had caught whiff of.

The blood was indeed Harry's – Padfoot would never mistake the scent of his pup – and there were copious amounts of it.

But that wasn't what scared him the most in that moment. What scared him, was the fact that his sense of hearing was also highly sensitized…

And he couldn't hear anyone breathing.

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" _I must say, you're a great deal shorter than I had imagined."_

 _Harry whirled around at the sound of the voice, searching for its owner. In his confusion, it took his a few minutes before he realized that there was no pain emanating through his small body; this place, wherever he was, held no hurt._

 _Little Harry Potter turned in a slow circle, looking at the big trees surrounding him, forming a sort of circle around a crystal clear lake, from which he was only a few meters away. The packed sand was crisp and cool to the touch, attracting his attention to the fact that he was barefoot. The sky overhead was a dark, velvety blue, and the stars shone brightly, but none more so than the Dog Star._

 _Harry couldn't explain why, but when he had read an astronomy text from the local library, during one of his furtive visits, he had immediately decided that star was his favorite. Something about it just spoke to him…made him feel like the star would guide him wherever he needed to be, if he were just so inclined to ask._

 _Shaking himself out of his stupor, the 6-year-old cast his eyes around him once more, still seeking out the source of the voice. Suddenly, the words the voice had spoken caught up to Harry's awareness._

" _Hey!" he protested indignantly, without stopping to think about it. "I'm only 6, you know! I'm gonna get bigger!"_

 _A laugh filled the air around him. "You're precious; I'll give you that."_

 _With a bravery inherent in the boy's core, Harry crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin fractionally in defiance. "Why don't you show yourself? If you're trying to seem scary by just being a voice, you're not succeeding. I don't fear someone who can't even face me when they talk."_

" _My, my," the tinkling laugh came again, except this time, a figure accompanied it, standing a little to Harry's left. "You may serve to impress me yet, little one."_

 _The woman was tall – especially to Harry, who was roughly a quarter of her height – and her face was so pale it was almost translucent. Although, strangely enough, the pallor of her skin seemed more radiant than unhealthy. Spiky black hair in a short pixie cut, sported stark white highlights and the dark black eyes, although they seemed very capable of exuding utter malice, now only seemed to glint in amusement._

 _Some part of Harry reasoned that he ought to be scared of this stranger, but a stronger part of him felt the intrinsic connection that existed between them._

 _He furrowed his brow at her. "Who are you?" he asked plaintively. "You're dressed quite strangely," he added as an afterthought, taking in the flowing dark robes that covered the woman's frame._

 _It was at this point that he remembered all the lessons Uncle Vernon had drilled into him, and all of them that he had broken in the few minutes he had spent with this stranger. Abruptly, he tensed, wondering whether the woman would punish him._

" _You may be at ease, Harry Potter," the beautiful lady told him, her voice almost gentle, as though she had read Harry's thoughts. "I think you can sense this, but you may fear no harm from me."_

" _I can," Harry nodded slowly. "Sense it, that is. But why is that, may I ask? I don't even know you."_

" _You know me, Harry Potter. Just not as yet."_

 _Harry was a smart kid, according to his teachers. But the woman was making no sense to him._

 _With a cavernous sigh that was out of place coming from his little body, he tried again. "But what's your_ _ **name**_ _?"_

" _My name?" She had an amused little smile playing on her lips that only served to annoy the toddler._

" _Uh-huh," Harry nodded impatiently. Then, with exaggerated patience, he added, "You know, like how my name is Harry James Potter. What's your name?"_

 _The lady seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding to herself. "I suppose you may call me Ker, little Harry Potter."_

" _Ker," the toddler nodded decisively, giving the woman a tentative smile. "You can call me Harry, you know. You don't have to keep adding my surname."_

 _Her smile widened. "Indeed."_

" _If you're not going to hurt me..." Harry narrowed his eyes slightly at the woman, who stared back unflinchingly. "May I ask you a question?"_

 _Without hesitation, Ker nodded. "Ask away, little Harry."_

 _The young Potter gladly accepted the invitation. "Where are we?"_

" _We are in something of an in-between place," Ker answered carefully. "You will leave this place once you awake."_

" _But I thought I was dead?" Harry blurted without thinking. "It doesn't hurt here, so I just thought…"_

 _The woman shook her head, moving to kneel gracefully where Harry stood. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You are not ready for Death, Harry," she said quietly, sadness in her voice. "There is still much to be done by you."_

 _The toddler bit his lip, thinking hard about the assertion. "How long can I stay here?" he asked finally, his green eyes showing trepidation for the first time. "Just, I'm not very eager to go back to my Aunt and Uncle."_

 _The unhappiness around Ker seemed to disappear with those words. "You have nothing to concern yourself with, young Harry." She winked almost mischievously at him. "I have it on good authority that there are two very nice people anxiously awaiting your awakening, both of whom would never allow you to go back to that wretched place."_

 _Harry giggled when Ker wrinkled her nose in mention of the Dursleys. "You're very nice," he informed her with a toothy grin, unused to feeling so comfortable around anyone since the people in his memories. "I like you."_

 _Ker looked shocked by his admission before a thoughtful look entered her pretty eyes. "You're very nice too, little one," she told him, briefly cupping his cheek before standing once more. "Perhaps why I feel the need to return the favor. And though it is not in my nature to care either way, I'm quite pleased you like me. Not many people do," she told him in an offhand sort of voice._

 _Harry tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"_

" _Why, what?" Ker imitated his pose, making the child giggle slightly again._

" _Why don't people like you?" he clarified._

 _Ker paused for a moment, seeming to choose her words very carefully. "People often dislike the things they have no control over, young Harry."_

 _The toddler mulled over her words for a little bit, quietly finding an understanding in them as he thought about it._

" _Not many people like me, either," he told Ker eventually, his voice subdued now. Once again, the woman seemed almost troubled in the face of his sadness._

" _Not so, little one. I like you, as do those people I mentioned earlier, as well as many others whom you have yet to become reacquainted with."_

 _Harry perked up slightly at her words. "Which people are you talking about, Ker?"_

 _She smiled beatifically at him. Waving her hand in a wide ark, she pointed at the portal she had created._

" _Watch and see, little one," she said mysteriously, as the portal changed to depict a stark white room with an unmoving occupant on the bed and a man with long black hair sleeping in the chair next to it._

 _Harry gasped as he recognized himself on the bed, still and apparently asleep._

 _Suddenly, an old man with a full grey beard stepped into the room. Like clockwork, the man sleeping next to his bedside jerked awake, instinctively leaning over Harry's unconscious form protectively. It was with this motion, that he caught sight of the man's face._

" _But that's Padfoot!" he cried out without thinking. "That's Padfoot, he's the laughing man from my memories!"_

 _Ker nodded, smiling widely. "Yes, little one. That's your Padfoot."_

" _ **Dumbledore."**_

 _Harry returned his attention to the scene in front of him as Padfoot spoke, his voice throbbing with anger. A flash of fear came over him; was Padfoot angry like Uncle Vernon? Maybe he had become angry with Harry because Daddy went away. Like Aunt Petunia was angry at him because Mummy went away?_

 _The very thought filled Harry with dread. He loved Padfoot, he remembered that much…he didn't want the man to hate him, although Ker had said that Padfoot loved him back._

" _ **How is young Harry?" the man named Dumbledore asked somberly.**_

 _ **Padfoot scowled angrily. "You have no right to ask me that, Dumbledore!" he snapped, his eyes flashing. "You told me he was SAFE! You told me he was HAPPY!"**_

" _ **My dear boy…"**_

" _ **Do not try to placate me, Albus!" Padfoot growled, looking angrier and scarier than even Uncle Vernon. "Not while my Godson is lying there, unconscious, thanks to**_ _ **your**_ _ **negligence!"**_

 _Harry felt somewhat sorry for the bearded man, who looked very sad as he gazed at Harry's form on the bed._

" _ **I would appreciate it," Padfoot's voice was level now, but no less angry, "if you would take your leave. I need to focus on my Godson right now, and I cannot do that, and have it out with you at the same time. Remus is arranging the legal issues for me to have immediate custody of Harry. If you care at all about James and Lily's boy, then make it official before Harry wakes. And remember, Albus, that I'm hardly above a custody dispute."**_

" _ **Of course," Dumbledore nodded, looking old and weary. "I would not dream of sending him anywhere else."**_

 _The portal vanished with those words, and Harry turned to face Ker. "Padfoot wants me?" he asked excitedly. Inwardly, he cautioned himself slightly; he needed to remember not to make Padfoot mad, because he was scarier than Uncle Vernon when he was._

 _Ker nodded indulgently. "He wants you more than anything in the world, little one. But I'll allow him to tell you all this himself."_

" _Why?" Harry inched closer to his new – his_ _ **first**_ _– friend. "Do you have to go already?"_

 _Ker touched his cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Yes, little one," she smiled softly. "I have some business to tend to. But you will see me again."_

" _When?" he couldn't help but ask._

" _As soon as I might return," she promised, a flicker of something flashing in her dark eyes. It was gone too quick for Harry to recognize it, so he dismissed it from his mind._

" _What should I do now?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he realized he had no idea where to go._

 _Ker smiled mysteriously, pressing two fingers against his temple._

" _Now, little one…you must wake."_

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There was no worse torture for Sirius, than to sit at his 6-year-old Godson's bedside and hope to Merlin that he would wake up.

Running a tired hand over his face, Sirius noted that a slight stubble had begun forming there, indicative of the three days he'd spent in the hospital without moving from his place next to Harry's bed, save for ten-minute showers. In that time, the kid had barely moved, although that was to be expected from his extensive injuries, the Healer in charge had told him.

Anger surged within him at the thought of Dumbledore. Rationally, he knew that the elder man had hardly intended for Harry to be hurt… but hadn't Sirius _told_ him? That those blasted, rotten muggles were a bad idea? Hadn't he _told_ Dumbledore that Lily and James didn't want Harry to go there? Hadn't he _begged_ and _pleaded_ for _years_ to see his Godson?

Merlin, he shuddered to think what would have happened if he hadn't persisted. The thought of Harry growing up any longer in the abysmal circumstances he'd been in already…it made Padfoot want to go feral.

As he always did to calm himself down, Sirius reached out and caressed Harry's soft cheek. The feel of his Godson – _solid, there, safe, breathing_ – was enough to assuage his temper from his fight with the headmaster.

He looked so peaceful…Merlin, so young. He looked much younger than his 6 years, and according to the Healer, that had much to do with the malnutrition, neglect and abuse he'd suffered. Sirius' heart had all but shattered at the prognosis; a horror story of broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken hand, a ruptured spleen, a moderate concussion, nasty bruises and cuts, and five years' worth of scars.

It was the scars that had hit the hardest, because his baby Godson had been abused for _that_ long.

He forced himself not to think about those muggles…he knew that there would be no stopping his rage once it came. He knew he would get his revenge soon, but it would not happen as long as Harry needed him.

"You'd best wake up soon, love," he whispered without thinking. "It's been so long that I've forgotten the color of your eyes, and how your laugh sounds. Would you mind terribly showing me?"

This was all a blatant lie, of course. Sirius could no more forget the color of the child's eyes, and the blessed sound of his laughter, than he could forget his own name.

He was so wrapped up in his Godson's still form that he didn't hear Remus come in until he spoke. "It's going to be okay, Pads. He's going to be okay."

Straightening, he allowed his eyes to flick to his friend's, before settling once more on the sleeping child. "How can you be so sure?"

"I think I can provide some reassurance," Healer Jeffery strode in, a genial smile on his face as he opened a brown file. "According to young Mr. Potter's morning scan, his wounds are healing quite well. The bones have been fixed as well as the tear in his spleen and lung, and the concussion is all but gone. Unfortunately, we can't do much about the bruises, save for the salve we've been applying, so he might still be a bit tender when he wakes, and the bruises themselves should be cleared up inside a few days." The Healer was quiet as he read from the chart, unaffected by the two pairs of eyes he knew were fixed on him. "Now, the lungs are a delicate thing, so he'll become easily short of breath for a while," he added as he looked up. "Nothing to be too concerned about, unless it persists after two weeks, in which case you ought to…oh, hello, there! Look who we have here!"

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Harry's eyes flew open and white assaulted his vision. This place, wherever he was, definitely wasn't as pretty as Ker's lake. It looked familiar though…

…he caught sight of Padfoot's hair, and he abruptly realized that he was in the hospital; the same one Ker had shown him. Padfoot was not alone this time, though, he noted, seeing the man with the lime green dress-like thing, similar to what Ker was wearing. Behind him stood a tall man with brown hair and pretty amber eyes… with a start, he realized that this man was from his memories as well!

Honestly, the toddler was quite glad to know that he hadn't made those colorful bunch of people up, especially if it confirmed his suspicion about who the other two people were.

The man in the green was reading from a file, and Harry guessed he was a doctor, telling them about his hurts. He stayed extra quiet, not moving an inch, wanting to make a good first impression on Padfoot and the yellow-eyed man.

Uncle Vernon always said he was better off not seen or heard, and he wanted to show them he could be good; maybe then, they wouldn't leave him again, and he would stay with them like Ker said he might.

His plan was ruined when the doctor suddenly noticed his open eyes, and sent a bright smile at him. "Oh, hello there!" he broke off from whatever he was saying to greet Harry. "Look who we have here!"

Padfoot and the brown-haired man whipped around to look at him, and Harry saw several different emotions cross each of their faces. He might have been able to name some of them, if the doctor hadn't swept quickly forward in front of him, setting off every one of Harry's defensive instincts.

All Harry saw, was a man bigger than him, heading towards him with intent.

The toddler jerked violently, pushing himself as far up the bed and away from the doctor as he could get, a low gasp of fright escaping from his lips. He wasn't entirely sure what made him do it, but Harry needed to feel safe, and for the first time in forever, there was someone around who he knew for sure could do that.

Knew for sure, from his memories of the man.

"Padfoot!" he yelped out without thinking, stretching his arms out towards the man himself, trying to reach him.

For his part, Padfoot looked utterly gobsmacked. It only lasted a few seconds before the man complied with Harry's unspoken plea, coming forward and lifting him easily into the protective cradle of his arms.

And Harry was right. Shielded against Padfoot's chest, he felt safer than he had felt in five years.

"Harry…oh, Harry, Merlin…" Padfoot was whispering in his ear, holding him tight and pressing kisses against the crown of his head. Harry held back tighter, relief overwhelming him.

Padfoot wasn't mad at him yet. He still had plenty time to show them he was good.

The man himself was still muttering incoherently into Harry's hair, rocking him gently. Harry had a feeling that he might have continued doing this, if not for the yellow-eyed man coming towards them slowly, deliberately.

"Pads?" he spoke softly, his voice sounding very familiar to the toddler's ears. Yes, this was definitely the other laughing man from his memory. "Pads, you've got to put Harry on the bed. Harry?"

The 6-year-old raised his head marginally, peeking at the yellow-eyed man shyly.

"Harry," he spoke warmly, happiness and a little bit of sadness in his eyes, "I'm a little worried about how you're feeling. Do you think you might allow the Healer to do a quick check, see that everything is as it should be?"

The tiniest of smiles quirked Harry's lips. "Okay," he consented in a small voice, but he didn't let go of his hold on Padfoot until the man set him ever so gently on the bed, and even then, Harry kept a firm hold on one sleeve, absently noting that Padfoot was also wearing the dress-like clothes.

The doctor – _healer_ , Harry reminded himself, though he wasn't quite sure the difference – was quick with his check-up, which made the toddler feel much better. He also apologized for startling Harry, and honestly, the child wasn't sure what to do with that – he had never received an apology before.

"Well, you're all set, Mr. Potter," the Healer grinned at him and Harry smiled shyly back, quite enjoying being called that. "I think I'd best leave you all for a while, and I'll check back with you a little later, see if you can go home tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Harry started when he realized the man was talking to him, but he recovered quickly. "That sounds quite nice, thank you, Sir," he replied politely, remembering his manners and not wanting the Healer to think ill of him.

"You're very welcome, Mr. Potter," he replied with a cheerful smile, before nodding to Padfoot and the other smiling man and taking his leave.

As soon as he left, Padfoot knelt on the floor in front of him, so that they were on eye-level.

"Harry," he started hesitantly, his eyes bright with tears as he brushed a hand softly across Harry's cheek. Instinctively, Harry started to stiffen, but forced himself to relax.

 _Just Padfoot,_ he reminded himself sternly. _He can't be that different to what I remember, and if he was cross with me for Daddy and Mummy going away, he wouldn't have helped me with the Healer man._

"Yes?" he asked quietly, aiming wide green eyes at the man he trusted against all odds.

"Do you…you remember me?"

The hesitant question was posed with poorly veiled excitement and awe, and Harry frowned for a moment, wondering what made Padfoot think Harry had forgotten. He _never_ forgot _anything_. He remembered Mrs. Kinney said that was what ' _eidetic'_ meant.

Harry relaxed his frown, reminding himself to be understanding. _Maybe Padfoot doesn't know what 'eidetic' is yet…I should keep quiet about it, just in case Padfoot feels it's a bad thing, like Uncle Vernon did._

He made up his mind and nodded to show his answer. "You liked to laugh, and you had a puppy that has your name too," he added, before turning to the amber-eyed man. "I 'member you too. You used to talk to me like I was a grown-up, and I used to call you a Moony." His forehead scrunched up once more as he realized that he didn't know what a Moony was exactly. He hoped he hadn't called him anything bad. "I'm sorry if a Moony is a bad thing. I'm not sure."

The Moony threw his head back in a laugh, the sadness that was there before now all but gone. "Not at all, Harry," he grinned widely, coming to sit on the bed next to Harry, who repeated the _tense-think-relax_ sequence. "My nickname is Moony, just like his is Padfoot," Moony jerked his thumb at Padfoot and Harry brightened in comprehension.

"Oh, I get it!" he smiled again. "Do you have a dog named Moony?"

This time, it was Padfoot who laughed, taking Harry's hand gently in his. "I think we'll have to explain Padfoot the dog another time, Prongslet."

 _Prongslet…they used to call me that,_ Harry remembered, grasping on to a fuzzy memory of being dubbed that. "Is that my nickname?" he asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, it is," Padfoot nodded, rubbing soft circles into Harry's hand which was still encased in his larger one, without seeming to realize what he was doing. "You're Prongslet, and I'm Padfoot, and that's Moony," he nodded at a smiling Moony, "but my real name is Sirius, and Moony's name is Remus."

"What do I call you?" Harry asked, trying to make sure he got everything right. He really didn't want them to think he was bad, too.

Moony – _Remus –_ replied. "Whatever you feel comfortable with, cub," he said soothingly, and like Padfoot's unconscious motions, he didn't seem to realize he had called Harry another nickname. The toddler, on the other hand, was quite aware of it, having never had a fond nickname before. He liked it quite better than 'Boy' and 'Freak' and all the other names Uncle Vernon and Dudley called him.

"Harry," Padfoot's hesitant voice brought him back from his thoughts. "What else do you remember?"

"Well…" the 6-year-old dragged the word out as he tried to figure out how much he should reveal. "The lady with the red hair and the very pretty smile, and the laughing man with my hair…that was my Mummy and Daddy, right?" he asked, looking to Padfoot and Moony for verification.

Something that looked an awful lot like pain crossed over Padfoot's features. "Yes, Prongslet," he nodded softly, his grip on Harry's hand tightening. "That's your Mum and Dad."

He nodded in satisfaction. He had figured as much, after seeing that Padfoot and Moony were real, and not a figment of his imagination, but it was nice to get confirmation all the same.

"And…you two, and my Daddy, you all liked to laugh," he stated more than asked, and the men grinned in agreement. Harry was about to mention the image in his head, of his Daddy making bubbles come out of a stick of wood…but then he remembered that magic wasn't real. He clamped his mouth shut, eyes widening slightly as he realized what a big mistake he could have made if he had blurted that out. Then, Padfoot and Moony would have gotten mad for sure.

The motion didn't go unnoticed, however, and Remus smiled invitingly at him. "Go on, Harry. What were you going to say?"

"Um…" Harry's face scrunched up as he dug around in the far recesses of his mind, trying to find any other memory he had stored away of his parents and their friends. "Padfoot used to sing to me!" he brightened, remembering the man's deep voice, singing as he rocked him off to sleep on many a night.

Remus looked delighted, though for other reasons than Padfoot's happy smile. "Is that so?" he slapped Padfoot's arm casually, laughing as Padfoot stuck his tongue out in return.

"I'm sorry!" Harry gasped, eyes going wide as he realized that he maybe wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that. The fear struck him cold; he was supposed to be showing them that he was good, and he was doing everything wrong!

 _Maybe Uncle Vernon is right!_ He scolded himself, even as he began to tremble. _Maybe you really are just an ungrateful, worthless brat who no one could love. You're certainly making it difficult enough for poor Padfoot and Moony!_

He hadn't realized that his trembling had increased through his mental dressing down, alarming the two men witnessing it. He was so absorbed in berating himself, in fact, that he didn't register Padfoot reaching out to him until a soft hand landed gently on his face.

He jumped violently, forgetting momentarily who it was; that he wasn't with Uncle Vernon, but in a safe place. Instinctively, he threw up his arms, shielding his head.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice muffled by his arms as he squeezed himself into a ball. He had learnt long ago to make himself as small a target as possible. "I didn't mean to, I promise!"

 _Well, you deserve it,_ a voice that sounded suspiciously like Uncle Vernon sounded in his head as he waited for the blow that, invariably, was coming.

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Sirius felt sick to his stomach.

He wasn't sure what had triggered the response – hadn't Harry felt _safe_ with him? Safe enough to jump into his arms? – but whatever caused the reaction, Sirius vowed to himself that he was going to do everything in his power and then some, to make sure his Godson was never afraid of him like this again. Was never afraid like this at all, ever again.

He looked at Remus helplessly, unsure how to get through to the trembling toddler, and it seemed his friend shared his reaction. Sirius could see Moony in the werewolf's eyes, and he could see the grief and anger Remus held there too, reflected in his own eyes.

"He's forgotten that he's safe," Remus muttered in a strained voice, making an aborted move to touch Harry's shoulder. "He thinks he did something wrong and he's going to get _punished_." The werewolf's voice broke on the last word, indicative of his anger.

Sirius was no better off, but he forced himself to focus on his Godson. The child needed him, and the Auror could put aside anything for Harry.

Lifting himself on to the bed, he sat next to Harry, without touching him. "Harry?" he spoke softly, trying to garner the attention of the 6-year-old. "It's just me, love. It's just Sirius. Padfoot." Maybe it was wishful thinking, but the dog-animagus hoped that Harry had relaxed slightly at his words. "Do you think you could look at me, love?"

In a motion completely contradictory to his character, Sirius sat utterly still, waiting patiently for the child to comply. He never moved an inch, nor did he push the toddler, ready to wait however long it took for Harry to look at him off his own volition.

Finally, watery green eyes peeked up at him apprehensively. "I didn't…didn't _m-mean_ to t-tell on you."

"Oh, puppy," he murmured without thinking, his heart breaking at his Godson's tears. It took everything he had not to reach out to the child; he knew, inherently, that any contact for a while, would have to be initiated by the toddler. "I know you didn't. I'm not mad, and I'm never, ever, _ever_ going to hurt you, alright? Me and Moony would never do anything to hurt you, I swear to you."

The boy looked a bizarre mix of shock and awe, and Sirius liked to think there was a little bit of hope in those bright eyes too.

"Really? You mean it?"

Sirius counted it as a win when Harry slowly uncurled from his ball as he asked, eyes locked on Sirius' like he wanted to test the Auror's sincerity.

He made sure to keep eye-contact. "Really. I promise you, pup."

Harry nodded slowly before turning his eyes on Remus. "Do you promise too?" he asked the werewolf. There was no challenge or demand in his voice; just simple curiosity, and it made Sirius' heart ache to realize that Harry would have accepted it if they _hadn't_ promised, just as easily.

"I swear, Harry," Moony nodded solemnly, and almost immediately, the last remaining Potter relaxed.

Nodding slowly, Harry turned back to face him, his eyes holding an expression Sirius hadn't seen before; one that looked far too wrong on his cherubic features. "Do you hate me for telling on you?"

The question was asked in such a resigned voice that it threw Padfoot for a loop. "Not in the slightest, pup," he denied, aghast. "I could never hate you, not ever! Why would you think that?"

Harry shook his head, eyes on his lap. It was obvious that he wasn't going to answer, and Sirius might have pushed him, if not for the tiny yawn that escaped the toddler's lips.

 _Adrenaline crash,_ Sirius' mind provided, thinking back to the fight or flight response that had been covered in Auror training.

Remus seemed to notice the sound too. "Would you like to have a small nap, cub?" the werewolf asked, and Sirius had to wonder whether his friend had realized that he was using the nickname he'd had for Harry as a baby.

The child nodded wordlessly, his eyes still downcast. Sirius recognized the need for reassurance, and hastened to provide it.

"Might we get a hug before that nap, pup?" he asked teasingly, sagging slightly in relief when a tiny small broke out over Harry's face. The boy nodded and held his arms out to Remus first.

The werewolf smiled at him first, in silent approval, before turning the smile on Harry and gathering the child ever so gently in his arms, dropping a soft kiss on messy black hair before he let go.

Harry crawled the distance between them on the bed, and when he reached his arms out, Sirius took the opportunity to lift the toddler up and into his lap. His Godson giggled as Sirius cuddled him to his chest, also kissing the crown of his head. He could not find it in himself to let go as easily as Moony did, however, and it was only after a few minutes that he thought he might be able to.

It turned out to be unnecessary, when he looked down to see Harry's face turned into his robes, and the child fast asleep.

Smiling tenderly, he brushed his lips across the slumbering boy's temple. "Sweet dreams, love," he whispered, tightening his arms around the precious bundle.

He needed to have a chat with Moony…but he guessed they could do that while Harry slept, because honestly?

He wasn't quite ready to let the boy go just yet.

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What do you guys think of Ker? And the chapter in general? Please let me know! Reviews are addictive, and super great motivators! *smiles mischievously*

Next chapter we'll be seeing the details hashed out between our two Marauders, about the future awaiting the young (and adorable) Mr. Potter…

Until then!  
Marissa ;-)


	5. There is magic here

Disclaimer: Not mine *sighs dramatically*

A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed, followed and or favourited! Y'all really made my day, and a special thanks to those who reviewed because I loved getting feedback! It truly is addictive, and I really appreciate that y'all took the time to let me know that y'all enjoyed my chapter!

A shout out to _ZodiacsKlaroline_ as well, a reader who I couldn't respond to. Thanks so much for the review, hon!

Hope this update is enjoyed, and please let me know what you think!

 _ **The title of this chapter is also taken from "Gift of Love" by Randy Travis, the song that inspired the name of this fic.**_

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Remus watched with a small smile as his friend brushed a kiss against Harry's temple, whispering inaudibly to him as he slept. This was a side of Padfoot he hadn't seen since Harry had been a baby, and he could see already the good influence the child had on the Auror.

Though the circumstances were as bad as they were, Sirius' face still looked calmer and more contented than he had looked in five years. Not for the first time, the werewolf strongly suspected that Sirius had experienced separation anxiety at its worst in the half a decade since they'd last seen the baby they loved more than words could describe.

Speaking of…

Remus' heart warmed as he looked at the dozing boy. In sleep, Harry seemed even smaller, even more innocent, and he still couldn't fathom why anyone would want to hurt such a soft, sweet, loving, innocent little child. Harry hardly seemed capable of causing anyone grief, and the wolf inside him was still restless, demanding retribution. Moony had taken it hard enough with the rat's betrayal, costing him two pack-mates – one of them nothing short of a brother – but this was _different_. This time, someone had hurt his _cub_ ; the _baby_ of his pack. To the wolf, few things were as unforgivable, and for once? Remus was in total agreement with his inner wolf.

He was normally a very understanding and forgiving man, but given the opportunity, he didn't doubt that he would've torn Lily's relatives to shreds.

Forcing himself away from those thoughts because he knew he couldn't afford to act on them, Remus focused once more on the sleeping face of the last remaining Potter.

Sirius was still whispering something to the sleeping boy, but Lupin concentrated on tracing the soft features with his eyes. Harry looked just as he remembered, and yet the werewolf could hardly tear his eyes away from him. The day the child had been born, and holding him for the first time, was imprinted in his memory, as were the hours spent babysitting, playing with and generally adoring the baby boy they had all come to see as their salvation from the darkness of the first war.

Naturally, at the time, there hadn't been the consideration that the bundle of bouncy baby was to be the savior of the entire wizarding world as they knew it…but even without that thrust upon him, Harry had still been the most important thing to them all.

With the five years having gone by, Remus realized that the feeling never went away; if anything, it _grew_. Having Harry back was much like having a piece of himself, long forgotten, being returned to him. Like the gaping hole left in him by the events of October 31st, 1981, was being filled, albeit partially.

"Difficult to look away, isn't it?"

Remus jerked his gaze from Harry's prone form to Sirius, as the words left his old friend's mouth. As if in demonstration of his words, the dog-animagus kept his eyes on his Godson.

"It is," Lupin conceded softly, coming to opposite the pair, on the end of the bed. Harry barely even stirred from his slight movement.

"It's like," Sirius continued, his voice sounding almost wary, "if I look away from him for even a moment, I'm gonna lose him again. Somehow. Something is gonna take him away, and Moony, I _can't_ do that again."

The normally playful Marauder was now deathly solemn, and although his playfulness had already been in short supply since he lost James, now it was like he was stating a cold hard fact; that he couldn't lose Harry again.

As far as Remus was concerned, that _was_ a cold hard fact.

He knew how much Sirius loved the boy; more than anything and everyone in the entire universe. More than he'd ever loved and much more than he thought he was capable of loving. It had been obvious since the moment Padfoot first held the baby; Remus remembered not even being slightly envious of Sirius getting the title of Godfather, because he couldn't fathom anyone deserving it more.

He couldn't fathom anyone loving Harry more than Sirius, save Lily and Prongs.

There were times when he'd felt badly, thinking it was some fault of his that he couldn't love Harry as much as his friend did – with such fervency and such reverence – but it only took a few months of observing Padfoot with baby Harry to realize that the bond between the two would be impossible to even think of duplicating, and not for a lack of trying.

It was that same bond that saved Sirius when he was drowning in the despair that was left in the wake of Pettigrew's betrayal, and the loss of James and Lily. Sirius had taken it all very badly, especially losing Prongs, and it was only the thought of Harry that had kept him going.

Then came Dumbledore's mandate, and Remus had never felt more angry at the headmaster, as he watched that same bond become the reason that his friend nearly lost his mind in grief.

Of course, it looped back around, and the love Padfoot had for his Godson became the reason he fought Albus tirelessly for years to see Harry. Seeing the new purpose in his hurting friend, and feeling the same need to see the child once more; the need to become a part of his life again; Lupin joined in on trying to wear his old professor down.

Thank _Merlin_ for that.

Now, looking at his friend, he realized that it hadn't even been a question for Sirius, whether he was willing to deal with the fallout that came from this monumental mess. Come heaven or hell, the dog-animagus was going to show Harry everything that he deserved and needed to be shown.

And Remus was determined to be a part of that.

He had let his cub go once before, but neither he, nor Sirius was about to make that mistake again. They were being given a second chance, and they were going to be certain to do a damn fine job of it.

Starting with healing themselves of this gruesome encounter, so that they were equipped to begin healing Harry of it.

"It's going to be alright, Pads," he told his friend, his voice a mixture of firm and soothing. "Harry's safe now. We'll get him healthy again and he's going to have the life he deserves, far away from those vile excuses for humans."

"I want to _kill_ them, Moony," Sirius stated plaintively, as though he were stating the time. Only the infernal rage blazing in his grey eyes were indicative of his explosive thoughts; his demeanor and his actions remained soft and tender as he handled Harry's sleeping form. "I'm _going_ to kill them, for daring to lay a finger on my Godson's perfect head."

Resisting the impulsive urge to agree, as well as the more potent urge of Moony to act on that impulse _right now_ , Lupin shook his head. "We can't think about that right now, Sirius," he forced himself to speak rationally. "We've got to focus on Harry now. Let's focus on Harry."

Like a switch had been flipped, the Auror's eyes softened and brightened, a small smile playing on his lips as he gazed fondly at the sleeping child. "I can't _believe_ he remembered me, Rem."

The werewolf grinned at the look of complete awe and wonder on his friend's face. Honestly, he couldn't say much in the way of dismissing the feeling, because he had felt the same way when Harry had matter-of-factly informed him that he remembered him too.

 _You used to talk to me like I was a grown-up, and I used to call you a Moony._

When Harry had shouted out for Padfoot and jumped into his arms, Remus couldn't help but feel slightly jealous and disheartened. He didn't expect for Harry to remember him too…but hearing that he did, immediately assuaged all those feelings, replacing it with warmth and love.

Remus knew, however, that as good as things looked now, it would still be a long road for all three of them, to get Harry to trust them implicitly once more, the way he did as a baby, innocent to the horrors the world had to offer. The werewolf hated – utterly _despised_ – the fact that his cub's innocence had been tainted, and he knew that it would take much more than a familiar face to cure Harry of the trauma he had suffered. Evidently, against all odds and reason, the child still remembered enough to feel a little bit safe around them, but judging from his reactions and his seemingly cautious air, there wasn't enough trust there for the 6-year-old to believe that he wouldn't still, at some point, be hurt.

Harry could hardly be blamed for being wary. It was almost too much to ask that he accepted them so easily; already, that was a major battle won, and Lupin vowed to keep staunchly at the other battles. Harry wouldn't have to fight them alone; not anymore, not now.

Between him and Sirius, they were going to fix this.

They had to.

For Harry.

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Sirius didn't have to ask what was going through Remus' mind, because he was fairly certain that thoughts along the same line were running through his own head. Along with several other thoughts, ranging diversely from tender and softhearted (his little Harry) to grotesque and vivid ideas for revenge (the Dursleys).

Invariably, though, his scattered thoughts converged to one topic; his sweet, innocent baby Godson.

Now, innocent and peaceful in sleep, Sirius could finally reconcile the baby he'd once known, with the child in his arms. Harry was dozing with his head against Sirius' shoulder, snuggled close into the Auror with one fist gripping the front of his robes, reminiscent of the times Sirius had rocked a baby Harry to sleep. Small puffs of air against his throat served as a welcome reminder of the breaths his Godson _was able_ to take.

 _Merlin_ , Sirius honestly didn't think he'd ever forget that awful sight of his little Harry on the floor of that decrepit cupboard, still and not breathing. In all his years as an Auror, he'd never seen such a horrifying sight.

He could hardly fathom how anyone could hurt someone as innocent and amazing and loving and perfect as his baby Godson.

Forcing the thought out of his mind until such time that he was available to take his rage out on those despicable muggles, he focused on the sleeping boy, his eyes unconsciously softening as he took in the messy, jet black, trademark Potter hair, the soft face that looked so innocent in sleep, the ridiculously long eyelashes and of course, the distinctive, lightning bolt scar. Pain filled Sirius as he brushed his fingers lightly over the cursed scar, remembering the night and imagining how scary it must have been for the one-year-old to have his life switched up on its axis like that.

 _Oh, my poor baby._

The thought rose unbidden in his mind, bringing a familiar tang of guilt to the back of his throat. He couldn't help thinking of Harry like that, but another part of his mind admonished him in disgust. What right did he have to think of Harry as his? Even though, in his heart, Harry had been his own since he the day he was born?

What right did _he_ have, when Harry belonged to _James_? To Lily? To his best friends?

"I can't believe he remembered me either," Remus' voice pulled him away from his guilt-stricken thoughts, returning his focus to his sleeping Godson. "It's almost too much to ask, but he does. It's amazing."

Sirius only smiled widely, but it was more than he'd smiled in a long time, and he knew that his agreement would be conveyed by it.

The feeling he'd had when Harry had called out to him… _reached_ out to him…it was more than Sirius could ever describe. He'd been almost too shocked to respond; it took him a few seconds before his awe gave way to fierce love, warmth, protectiveness, and a burning happiness that he hadn't had in a very long time. Once those feelings bombarded him, he could hardly help scooping the child up into his arms and holding on like his life depended on it…which it, in a way, felt like it did.

It was a good thing Harry had reached out to him, because there was no way he would've been able to keep from holding his beloved Godson in his arms once again.

It also humbled the Auror, in a way that few things ever did, the fact that Harry trusted him so easily. Granted, that was almost certainly because he remembered Sirius from a time when things were happier, but nevertheless, it fueled the already blazing sense of protectiveness in the dog-animagus.

And in that moment, Sirius would have killed Merlin and Morgana themselves if they had tried to get to the terrified child clinging to him.

Belatedly, he realized his friend was waiting expectantly for a verbal response, likely recognizing the real possibility that Sirius would get caught up in his own mind and his admittedly dark, Dursley-themed thoughts. Without taking his eyes off the precious child in his arms, he let out a small huff of laughter. "I think that a light breeze might've been able to knock me down when he called out and reached for me," he admitted wryly. "How do you suppose he remembers us?"

He didn't have to look up to know that the werewolf was sporting a thoughtful look.

"Perhaps he simply has a good memory," Remus suggested. "Maybe it's normal for a child to begin retaining memories at that age, especially since he saw me almost every day, and you, _every single day_ without fail. What would _we_ know about babies?"

"Fair enough," the Auror conceded with a shrug. Frankly, he didn't really care how it happened; he was just thrilled that the child remembered him at all. And besides, there were far more pressing matters to think about. Finally, and very reluctantly, he lifted his gaze from Harry's sleeping form and pinned it on his old friend. "Rem, what are the legal happenings? What do I need to do to get full custody?"

The werewolf smiled at him, the relief in his eyes a welcome sight. "Nothing," he replied simply. "You've already got full custody. Dumbledore made a few calls and I was treated to the delightful show of Minerva issuing some blatant threats to the Dursleys to _convince_ them to stay well away from Harry."

Sirius gave a small smirk, imagining the kind of words that would have been coming from his ex-transfiguration-professor's mouth. Though it wasn't common knowledge, Minerva had been close with the Potters, and when Harry had been born, the Gryffindor woman had been just as hopelessly attached as the rest of them.

His satisfaction was short lived, though, as his mind flashed back to the brutal treatment his baby Godson had received for so long. "Legalities aside," he said, his eyes flashing dangerously, "how are we going to make those filthy muggles pay?"

Remus sighed wearily. "I really thought you would use stronger language."

Sirius recognized the diversionary tactic, but he played along nonetheless. "No swearing in front of the baby," he stated, mimicking the words Lily had spoken at least a hundred times daily around the Marauders after Harry was born.

"Lily would be proud," Lupin chuckled, his eyes warming with mirth. "Although," he tilted his head to the side, a contemplative look on his face, "she might also have thought you were under the Imperius curse."

Sirius responded with a hand gesture that would have made James guffaw and Lily threaten to hex him into the following week.

The werewolf grinned cheekily, but the levity was only temporary; Sirius was not known for his patience, and his friend knew that there was only a small window of opportunity within which the Auror would even pretend to listen to reason.

"I know you want to get your own revenge on them…" Remus started hesitantly.

"Kill them," he provided helpfully. "I would very much like to kill them." Anyone who knew Sirius Black, knew that his level and almost reasonable voice was far, far worse than if he had to raise his voice. His capacity for screaming and arguing was not inconsiderable, but the truly dangerous moments was when he sounded for all intents and purposes, calm.

Because then, there was a slim chance that he could be persuaded from his intentions.

Remus sighed. "Padfoot," he shook his head, "you know we can't. Merlin knows Moony wants the same thing, and I'm actually inclined to agree, but what good can we be to Harry if they chuck us in Azkaban?"

Sirius took a moment to think on that before snorting derisively. "I could escape from Azkaban."

His comment surprised a small huff of laughter from the werewolf. "Sure, Pads," Lupin rolled his eyes, grinning indulgently, before becoming solemn once more. "But look at Harry."

Sirius didn't need any more prompting, and he fastened his gaze to his Godson's features, softening once more.

"Look at him," Remus continued, "and think about the fact that, after years of knowing nothing but abuse, he still trusted you enough, and feels safe enough around you, to sleep in your arms. To reach out to you for protection." The werewolf paused for effect, and then added. "You've got to be there for him whenever he reaches out, Sirius. We've _both_ got to be there for him. We've got to promise him that we won't leave, and we can't do that if we go on a killing spree."

Sirius thought about it for a moment. He knew that the pull to his Godson was far stronger than even his deepest desire for revenge, but he couldn't help feeling like it was a betrayal to Harry, and a betrayal to James and Lily and their memory, to simply let the Dursleys get away with their abuse to the child in his arms.

"What if they didn't find the bodies?" he suggested, a hopeful lilt to his voice. "We could drop the baby elephant off at the muggle place with all the animals after wiping his memory, and then we could buy a small plot of land under a different name and use the Fidelius charm on it, and bury the bodies there."

"Sirius," Remus frowned, "that is…" the werewolf paused for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. After a few moments of careful contemplation, he fixed Sirius with a slightly surprised look. "Merlin, that's actually not a bad plan," he allowed grudgingly. He narrowed his eyes at the Auror. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Since we found Harry in that state," Sirius answered shamelessly. "Don't forget, Moony, I'm still a Black. We're good at hiding the bodies, both literally and figuratively."

Lupin allowed himself a small smirk. "It's a good thing you're on our side, mate."

Sirius huffed, brushing a few stray locks of Harry's unruly hair from his face and smiling tenderly when the child unconsciously snuggled closer.

"You're still not going to let me kill them, are you?"

Remus shook his head silently.

Sirius fixed him with a look that was equally frustrated and curious. "Why?"

Lupin sent him a sad, almost resigned smile. "Because of Harry," he said simply. " _He's_ the one who went through this hell for five years, Paddy. He _deserves_ a say in what happens after this, and _he_ ," Remus emphasized his point by jerking his head towards the dozing Potter heir, "will not allow us to become killers for anything."

The Auror thought about those words for a moment before huffing petulantly. "I hate it when you're right, Moony, do you know that?"

"If it helps at all," Remus said dryly, "I quite hate being right when it comes to this. Although," he brightened slightly, "we could press charges on them."

"We don't know anything about muggle laws, Moony," Sirius stated plaintively, feeling concerned when it suddenly looked like Remus had swallowed a bottle of Felix Felicis.

The werewolf shook his head emphatically. "Harry's a wizarding child! According to wizarding law, if a magical child is placed in the care of a muggle family for whatever reason, and the muggle family is made aware of any such magical capabilities existent or forthcoming from the child, then the welfare of said magical child will fall to the wizarding law standards and if not complied with, the muggle guardian can be held liable against wizarding law and legislation!"

Sirius, having missed half of Remus' rant thanks in large part to the overexcited werewolf tripping over his own words, simply fixed Lupin with a blank stare that quite clearly said, _translate that to normal-speak, please, Moony?_

Remus was familiar with the look, being the recipient of it from James and Sirius plenty times during their Hogwarts days, so he rolled his eyes indulgently.

"The Dursleys _knew_ Harry was a magical child," he spoke with exaggerated slowness. "Therefore, any mistreatment on their part is punishable by wizarding law. If we press charges on them, we'll follow wizarding protocol, and if the Wizengamot finds them guilty, they get a free trip to Azkaban."

Sirius' lips grew into a broad smile. He could settle for the Dementors sucking every last happiness from the Dursleys (provided they actually _had_ souls) and at least, he figured, they would experience every moment of fear they had made his little Prongslet feel, ten-fold. It was less than he had wanted, ideally, but definitely more than he had expected to get.

"I think we should get Harry's opinion."

The Auror jerked his head up to meet Lupin's eyes, an incredulous look on his face. "He's a child, Moony, why the bloody hell do you think he should be asked to make a decision like that?"

"I'm not saying we ask him to decide," Remus clarified, looking slightly affronted, "I'm saying that we should talk to him about it. Like I said, he's the one who's been through such hell, Sirius. He's the one who's had to deal with the abuse and torment, and by that alone, he's lost a big chunk of his childhood and his innocence. We need to respect that, and we need to gain his trust, and we can start doing that by not hiding this from him and allowing him to find out another way."

Grudgingly, Sirius admitted that his friend had a point. "We have to give him some time to adjust first, though," he added. "There's no use in pushing him, and I don't want to overwhelm him if I can help it. I want to take him home first, let him get used to his new life, and then we can ease him into it, okay?"

"Definitely," the werewolf agreed quickly, getting up off the bed. "I'm going to go have a talk with Healer Jeffery, I want to see what he has to say about any longer-term care for Harry."

Sirius nodded in acknowledgement and after Remus carefully closed the door behind him, he settled in to watch his baby Godson sleep.

That plan was utterly foiled when he looked down at the boy in his arms to find a pair of emerald green orbs staring owlishly at him.

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"…say about any longer-term care for Harry."

Harry, having been woken up by the feel of Moony getting off the bed, contemplated those words in silence. Again, he didn't want to annoy Padfoot, so he made sure to stay perfectly still and quiet.

Longer-term care? That made it sound like they were going to be around for a while. Cautious hope bloomed in his chest. Maybe his best behavior had worked? Maybe they were going to stay this time? He really hoped so; he inwardly vowed to himself to follow every single one of the rules, in the hopes of staying with them forever.

He focused on Padfoot and, as if he could feel his gaze, the man looked down at him. His grey eyes widened in surprise. "Harry! When did you wake up, pup?"

The child smiled at yet another fond address. He was really starting to like nicknames now!

"When Moony left," he answered quietly, making no move to leave Sirius' arms. He knew he was pushing it, but he thought maybe he could get away with it until Padfoot pushed him away. He could always pretend he had never known about _that_ rule. The _hugging_ rule.

"Well," Sirius interrupted his thoughts, "how are you feeling, Prongslet?"

"I'm okay," he answered automatically, but he grinned happily when he realized that he actually was okay; whatever the Healer man did different to a doctor, he was glad for it. "How are you?" he asked back, thinking it would really only be polite to reciprocate.

Sirius sent him an amused little smile. "I'm very well, thank you, puppy," he replied, tickling Harry and making him giggle. "There's that laugh!" he exclaimed triumphantly, his beaming smile making him look much happier and less worried. "Now that you've shown me that you still have it, I expect to be hearing it a lot more often, alright?" He pointed a mock stern finger at Harry.

Harry blinked before giggling again. Apparently the laughing rule wasn't one of Padfoot's rules…that was a good thing, at least. He quickly amended his earlier vow; he would just keep following the rules until Padfoot told him specifically that it didn't count.

He nodded decisively. "Alright," he agreed. "I like to laugh. Just like you and Moony and Daddy."

When sadness took away the happiness on Padfoot's face, Harry immediately felt awful, but before he could apologize or make any move to defend himself from the blow Sirius was bound to send his way (and no matter what, Harry _knew_ he deserved this one for making poor, nice, friendly, loving Padfoot _sad_ ) the man brushed his fingertips lightly across Harry's cheek in an affectionate caress.

Harry froze, pitifully unused to the soft and loving gesture, but if Sirius noticed the reaction, he didn't show it.

"You look just like your dad, Prongslet," he said instead. "Do you know that? You're a smaller version of him, really, except for your eyes. Those are your mum's, she had the greenest eyes ever, until you."

As if prompted by the words, Harry automatically widened his emerald orbs. Delight swept over him with the knowledge that he looked like his daddy, and he suddenly wished he had a better idea of what his eyes looked like; he hadn't seen in a mirror very often, and he wasn't allowed to be in photos in case he ruined them.

He bit his bottom lip in a nervous gesture. "I don't know what Mummy and Daddy looked like," he admitted in a small voice, worried slightly that he was going to make Padfoot mad. "I only remember a little bit of them."

If Harry had looked up, he would've seen the drawn features of an Auror trying desperately to reign in his fury, but as it was, the child's gaze was drawn instead to the leather holster around Sirius' wrist that held a stick remarkably like the one he thought he remembered his Daddy using.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the stick, unable to stop himself. Was there a chance that the memory he had, of Daddy making bubbles, was somehow… _real_?

But…that _couldn't_ be right. Magic wasn't _real_ …Uncle Vernon said. He was jolted from his thoughts as Padfoot adjusted his hold, allowing Harry to sit up.

"It's called a wand, pup," Sirius answered him almost gently. "I'm a wizard, and I can do magic when I use my wand. Did anyone tell you about magic?"

Harry frowned slightly. "Uncle Vernon said there was no such thing," he informed the grey-eyed man. "He said I shouldn't talk about freaky things because it wasn't real."

Sirius was already shaking his head before Harry even completed his sentence. "Magic is real, puppy," he insisted ardently. "It's as real as you or me! I have it because I'm a wizard; Moony has it too, and so did your parents. So do _you_ , Prongslet."

"Really?" He scrunched his nose up when he remembered the Hair Incident at school. "Does that mean I really did change Ms. Harmony's hair blue when she was trying to make me take another test?" he asked without thinking about it.

Thankfully, Padfoot didn't seem angry. In fact, he threw his head back in a laugh that made Harry smile a little.

"You had something called accidental magic, pup," Sirius explained, still chuckling. "You truly are the heir of the Marauders." Before Harry could ask what the Marauders was, Padfoot slowly raised his hand, pausing well in front of the child's face as if to ask permission.

His comfort and his trust multiplying ten-fold with the gesture, Harry simply leaned into the hand, allowing it to cup his jaw.

Sirius locked their gazes intently. "Do you believe me, pup?"

Seeing the solemn but clear look in his grey eyes, the Potter heir knew without a doubt that, no matter what Uncle Vernon had told him, he did believe Sirius.

He _trusted_ him.

Some inherent part of him knew that the man in front of him would never lie to him.

"Yeah," he nodded slowly. "I believe you, Padfoot."

"Good." A beaming smile took its place on Sirius' face. "Good, pup, I'm glad."

Smiling back was an automatic response, and the child allowed his mind to wander back to his Uncle. The man had lied about magic…what else did he lie about?

Without Harry's permission, the cautious hope in his chest built.

He decided not to ask, because he was pretty sure Sirius would not be happy to talk about Uncle Vernon, judging by how his eyes got angry every time he had heard the man's name. instead, he tentatively traced one finger very slightly against the holster.

"Can you show me?"

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Really.

He should've known better than to leave Harry and Sirius alone, even if it was for all of fifteen minutes.

However, glancing around at the balloons and the flowers and the bubbles and the multiple-colored sparkles flying from Sirius' wand, and then seeing Harry's look of sheer, unadulterated, childish delight, Remus had to admit that it would be worth the clean-up.

And, he guessed, they would've had to have had the magic talk with Harry some time, since he was fairly certain those damned Dursleys hadn't told the boy of his heritage.

"Aren't _we_ having fun causing havoc?" he asked dryly, with a smirk at the bed's occupants.

Harry's giggle cut off abruptly, and his eyes widened with a fear that Lupin was fast learning to discern meant that the child thought he was in trouble.

Thinking quickly to avoid another heart-breaking show of fear from the Potter heir, Remus whipped out his own wand and quickly conjured up a brown wolf teddy bear, similar to the one he'd given Harry as a baby, and levitating it towards the child.

As quickly as it came, the look of fear was gone, in its place a look of wonder. Harry plucked the plushy from the air with the utmost care and looked to Remus, his green eyes asking silently for permission, which the werewolf granted with a nod and a warm smile.

Harry's grin widened and he immediately cuddled the stuffed animal close to his chest, beaming at Remus. "Thank you!" he exclaimed happily, snuggling his cheek into the soft toy. "We can call him Moony, too!"

Chuckling affectionately, he made his way to the bed to sit down on the end. "I think that's the perfect name for him."

Harry stayed in Sirius' arms, obviously feeling safest there, but he did reach out his arms to Remus for a hug, a request that the werewolf was more than happy to accommodate.

He pulled back and after settling against the foot of the bed, he opened his mouth to start telling Sirius and Harry exactly what Healer Jeffery had said, but snapped it shut almost immediately.

In front of him, Harry was giggling as he swiped his hands through the sparkles, seeming fascinated by the fact that it didn't hurt and aiming specifically for the green, blue and silver sparkles. Finally acting his age, the child was also occasionally popping a bubble when they floated close to him. His eyes were shining, and his weren't the only ones; Sirius, who had seemed a shell of his former self since that awful night in October, was grinning and chuckling, looking more lively and so much happier than Remus had seen him in half a decade.

For the first time since then, it felt like his family – his _pack_ – was beginning to heal.

He figured that a few more minutes of fun could do nothing but good.

For all of them.

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A/N 2: Please feed my addiction and leave me a review?! Just to let me know what I'm doing right, wrong, or what you would like to see! Or even just to tell me that I'm not the only one who amused myself when Sirius said that he could escape from Azkaban *giggles* Thank you!


	6. The Heir to the Potter Magic

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Ahh, a slightly longer chapter now!

Thank you all _SO MUCH_ for all the reviews! *squeals in delight* I was positively floored by all the feedback I got in the last chapter! Truly, you guys made my week for me!

To _**EllenRose**_ who I couldn't reply to: Thanks so much for the encouragement and the helpful feedback! I tried to follow it *covers face with hands* but I don't know whether I succeeded! As for Ker, you're not supposed to know her just yet…that's a slow-burning surprise! Glad you like her though!

Also, I should say this now, but I'm not planning on making this Remus/Sirius slash. I have nothing against wolfstar, although I'm not a fan, personally, but I'd like to focus on the family aspect of the three of them! Sorry if I'm disappointing!

Special shout out to _**MaddieLB**_ , who gave me such a kickass review last chapter!

Thanks again to everyone who left me any feedback, especially to the **guests** , **Teri** , and **Krafty** **Kaci** that I couldn't reply to! Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

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"Well, Mr. Potter, I do believe that you are ready to leave us!"

Harry smiled shyly at Healer Jeffery; the man, although imposing at first, had actually proven to be quite gentle, and very nice. He always brought Harry a magical candy called Lasting Lollipops with every visit, no matter that Harry still hadn't made a dent in the _first_ one, and he hadn't even scolded them for the bubble and balloons and other things Sirius and Remus had magicked up for him two days ago.

As much as he had made a new friend in the Healer (which was an odd, but wonderful feeling, to have so many friends after years of having none) Harry was still glad for the news. He had expected to leave that very same day; Remus, after all the balloons and bubbles had popped, had told him that he would likely be discharged. However, it wasn't to be…

 _Harry automatically reached out to grab a fistful of Sirius' robes when the Healer man walked in. He wasn't even conscious of the action; he had simply reached out, as he had the first time, to the person he felt safe with. He still couldn't explain why he felt that way; after all, he hardly really knew the man; but his gut was insistent that Padfoot could be trusted._

 _Words surfaced, in the back of his mind, and he wasn't entirely sure where they came from:_ _ **I promise I'll always catch you, love. And if ever I don't, then I promise I'll help pick you back up.**_

 _Half of him wanted to question the words, but before he could think more about it, he was distracted again by the Healer man._

" _Hullo there, Mr. Potter," he greeted kindly, his brown eyes warm. He advanced slower this time, a smile on his face as he looked around at the stuff Sirius had made for him. "I dare say the fun started without me! I'm hurt!"_

 _Harry relaxed slightly as Sirius' arms pulled him backwards, onto the man's knee. Feeling safer on his lap, the child managed a bashful smile. "Hullo, Mr. Healer." He bit his lip in contemplation, not wanting the man who made him feel better to be hurt, and after a second, he held out the wolf plushy that hadn't yet left his arms. "You can hold my toy, if you want. His name's Moony, because Moony made him for me! He gives good hugs, then you won't feel sad anymore."_

 _The men around him all chuckled, although Remus' seemed a little strained, but before he could ask if he'd said something wrong, the Healer stepped forward and gently took the proffered teddy. After hugging it softly, he returned it with a smile. "You're very right, Mr. Potter. I feel so much better already!"_

 _Harry grinned widely, feeling proud as he clutched the soft toy to his chest. He had never been right before…it was a nice feeling, like something warm curling against his chest. It was better still when Sirius smiled affectionately at him, dropping a kiss against his hair._

" _Now," the Healer came to a stop a few steps in front of him, "I'm feeling better. Shall we check if you are as well?"_

 _Without thinking about it, Harry looked up to Padfoot for guidance. Sirius smiled reassuringly at him, giving a small nod._

" _You can stay in Mr. Black's lap, if you feel more comfortable there, young Mr. Potter," the man added, smiling softly as Harry nodded eagerly, not once loosening his grip on Sirius' clothes. "Okay, let's see then!"_

 _The exam was quick, but thorough, and Healer Jeff (as he insisted Harry call him) was careful and kept talking to Harry about what he was doing, which made the child feel better about it all for some reason. When they were done, the Healer pulled a lollipop from his pocket with flourish._

" _All my patients get candy," he proclaimed before leaning in, as if to tell Harry a secret, "but, only my favorite and most special patients get this!" He presented Harry with the lollipop, smiling reassuringly until the child took it. "That's a magical lollipop; it's supposed to never run out, and you can re-wrap it when you get tired."_

" _Wow!" Harry's eyes widened with awe and he grinned up at the Healer. "Thank you very much!"_

" _You are most welcome, Mr. Potter," Healer Jeff chuckled._

 _Harry tilted his head to the side. "Am I really one of your favorites?" he asked shyly, not even realizing the adorable picture he made with his big green eyes, tentative smile and cocked head._

" _You're my most favorite, little Harry," the man replied with a wink. "But let's not tell everyone else, yeah?"_

 _Harry put a finger to his lip solemnly, a silent promise to keep the secret. This was shaping up to be the best day ever! He played with Padfoot and Moony, his hurts didn't really hurt much, he got a present from Moony_ _ **and**_ _Healer Jeff, and now he was being trusted with a secret!_

 _He hoped he_ _ **never**_ _had to go back to the Dursleys._

 _With that wish in mind, he reminded himself of his vow to be the best behaved of anyone, ever. Looking at the mess they had made of the hospital room, he thought he could start by cleaning it up; after all, it had been awful nice of Padfoot and Moony to include him in the fun, and this was also the least he could do in return._

 _He wriggled off Sirius' lap, albeit a bit reluctantly, and habitually giving the other two adults a wide berth, he began to pick up a few stray streamers. He was sure to keep an eye out on the men in the room; as much as he wanted to trust them without doubts, he simply couldn't, and he needed to be sure that one of them wouldn't try to hurt him while they thought his guard was down._

 _Unfortunately, thanks to his own fatigue, he made a rookie mistake that he hadn't made in a while._

 _In keeping his sights on the men in the room, he completely forgot to watch the door._

 _It burst open, slamming against the opposite wall, and before Harry could react, he found his upper arm being gripped hard, the anger behind the action making it tight. He yelped, more out of surprise than pain (he had definitely felt worse) but the sound was enough to bring Sirius and Remus to their feet, both men glaring furiously at the man that was squeezing his arm hard enough to bruise._

" _Fudge." Harry was too preoccupied by Sirius whipping out his wand and pointing it menacingly at the man, to bother about the unfamiliar name. "I suggest you get your hands off my Godson, before I do_ _ **far**_ _worse than simply_ _ **making**_ _you do so."_

 _Godson?_

 _Harry stilled his struggles, the word shocking him into immobility. Did that mean…was Padfoot his Godfather? What did that mean? He'd heard the word before, thanks to his extensive reading, but while he could recite the textbook definition of the title verbatim, he found himself unable to comprehend what it meant, in relation to him._

 _He didn't have any time to think about it, however, because the next words out of the man's mouth sent him into a blind panic._

" _Black!" the man sneered, his hold tightening even further and making Harry wince. "You can keep your empty threats. This boy is the_ _ **hero**_ _of the world as we know it! I would be negligent in my duties if I allowed him to live with one of the darkest pureblood families in the world!"_

" _You have less than no jurisdiction over this, Mr. Fudge." Moony was the one who answered, and his normally warm voice sounded quiet and dangerous. He too had a wand pointed at the man, whose grip only tightened with Harry's renewed struggles. "Sirius has legal custody over Harry, he should've raised him from the start. The paperwork is complete, Sirius is Harry's…"_

 _The man named Fudge jerked Harry sharply in agitation, which only made the tension in the room amp up. "You have no sway in this decision, werewolf," he spat at Remus, making amber eyes narrow in response._

 _Harry's own emerald orbs widened. Moony was a_ _ **werewolf**_ _? He thought about the man's gentle demeanor and warm smile, and the wolf teddy he had gifted him with, coming to the conclusion that Remus must be one of the_ _ **good**_ _werewolves, not like the ones in the stories._

 _He had no sooner come to this conclusion before Fudge spoke again._

" _Now," he raised his voice to override whatever Padfoot had been about to say, "I am taking young Mr. Potter back to his relatives, where he rightly belongs, until the Ministry can remedy this mistake."_

 _And with those words, Harry fell into a panic attack, the likes of which he hadn't experienced in years, ever since he got used to the beatings his uncle so frequently dished out._

He didn't remember much of anything after that. His lungs had closed up, and he remembered fighting for breath before finally, mercifully, blacking out. When he awoke a few hours later, Sirius explained to him that the panic attack had hurt his still-tender lungs, and that he was going to have to stay a few extra days. Padfoot promised that wasn't ever going to let anyone take Harry back to the Dursleys, and although the child still harbored doubts, he had allowed the subject to be dropped.

Now, he was finally getting discharged. Refocusing on the present, he watched as Sirius thanked Healer Jeff before turning to him with a tired, but happy smile.

"Ready to go home, Prongslet?" Padfoot asked, coming over to sit next to him on the bed.

"With you?" Harry had to make sure.

Sirius cupped his face with one hand, his thumb rubbing over Harry's cheek. "Always, pup," he answered firmly, lifting his hand, only to ruffle messy black hair. "I've been meaning to talk to you about what that man said, a few days ago."

Harry felt a seed of trepidation curl in his stomach. "Is he gonna send me back to the Dursleys?" he asked before he could stop himself, all Sirius' prior reassurances flying out the window. "Can he do that?"

Sirius, instead of answering, opened his arms in invitation. Since Harry's fear the very first day, he had been careful to always offer touches instead of acting without warning. The child scrambled into the hug, burying his face in Sirius' chest and resting his ear against the man's heart.

"I'm not going to let anyone take you away from me, pup," Padfoot promised solemnly, the rumble of his chest vibrating against Harry's cheek. He carded his fingers soothingly through Harry's inky black locks. "Not again. I wanted to talk to you about…" he hesitated for a second and Harry waited patiently, allowing himself to calm down while Sirius found his words. "Harry, Prongslet," he started again, his voice gentle, "do you understand what a Godfather is?"

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Sirius waited for Harry's answer with bated breath. He had been nervous about having this conversation; not because he thought Harry wouldn't accept him, because his Godson _wanted_ to come live with him, but because he worried about the questions Harry might have.

Like, why hadn't Sirius done more to get him from the Durselys when he first went there?

Like, where was he when Harry needed him the most?

Like, what had stopped him from visiting him all these years?

Questions the child, doubtlessly, was entitled to. Not for the first time, he cursed Fudge for stirring up trouble when they were still trying to take baby steps to heal Harry from his traumatic abuse. The man hadn't acted out of anything but self-absorption, and twisted delusions of grandeur. Sirius knew, thanks to the talk in the Auror office, that Fudge was aiming high, entertaining the notion of running for Minister when Bagnold retired in a few years. No doubt, had Harry been in any actual danger from Sirius and Remus, that would have been the act that launched his campaign further than anyone had ever managed outside of an election year. Unfortunately for him, the two Marauders were the ones that _saved_ Harry from that abysmal life.

All Fudge had managed to cause was unnecessary pain to the child that Sirius loved as his own. When Harry had begun struggling to breath, he had been terrified, but when he fell to the floor in a faint, the fear morphed into an easier emotion; _rage._ In that moment, if Harry hadn't needed him, he shuddered to think what he might have done to the insufferable, ignorant little prat.

He turned his attention back to the child in front of him, who was frowning slightly, his little nose scrunched up cutely.

"I read about them," he said slowly, "but I don't really understand what's going to happen because of it."

Sirius was sidetracked by Harry's first unwitting admission. "You can read, pup?" he asked surprised, immense pride filling his chest with an almost uncomfortable warmth. Harry, on the other hand, looked up at him stricken.

"N-no," he shook his head, the denial coming too quickly, "my _teacher_ read to us about Godparents."

Frowning, the Auror tried to backtrack and figure out why the topic of reading was scaring his Godson. He was hardly the bookish sort – no, that was Remy's forte – but even he couldn't find fault with enjoying books. Not especially when Moony's love of books was what frequently kept them from getting into _too_ much trouble.

Before Harry could have another panic attack and reinjure his still-healing lung, he hastened to reassure him. "Reading is good, puppy." He threw out a bright grin, glad to see that it helped stop Harry's panic. "I would much rather _not_ , but I'm sure Moony won't let me corrupt you too much."

Harry was soothed by his words, and distracted by the mention of the werewolf. "Where is Moony?" he asked softly, timidly. "He didn't come back to see me since I got hurt again."

Sirius repressed a sigh. His frustration with Remus was growing, particularly because Harry looked crushed both days that ended without an appearance from his teddy bear's namesake. The Auror could understand that Remus was scared to face Harry, now that the child knew he was a werewolf, but Harry didn't seem to care. Lupin just wouldn't take Sirius' word for it.

"He'll come around soon, pup," he said after a moment. "He probably just got a little busy."

Whether Harry believed his lame excuse or not, Sirius would never know, because the child simply nodded in sad acceptance and proceeded to fix big green eyes on him.

"What does it mean, that you're my Godfather?"

"It means," Sirius grinned again, "that your parents wanted me to take care of you. And it means, if you _want_ , that _I_ _could_ take care of you from now on."

Harry's eyes brightened with a hope that made Sirius' heart squeeze. "Really?" the child asked excitedly. "I could _live_ with you? And I wouldn't have to go back to Privet Drive?"

"Never," Sirius promised resolutely. "Would you like to have a home with me? And Moony?"

It didn't seem possible, but Harry's eagerness only seemed to increase. "Moony's gonna be there too?" The delight in his voice made Sirius grin. "Can I, Padfoot? Can I please live with you and Moony? I promise I'll be good, I promise!"

Swiftly, the Auror tweaked Harry's nose, laughing when the boy's diatribe abruptly stopped as he looked up at Sirius, shocked.

"You're already the best little boy in the world, Prongslet," he said firmly, eyes softened with love. "I'm so pleased you want to come with me, because I really want us to be a family again."

"Like when I was a baby?"

The question was so innocent that it only increased the pain that coursed through Padfoot at the memories.

"Just like when you were a baby, puppy."

Harry frowned, lightly tugging one lock of his unruly hair, in a gesture uncannily like James Potter when he was worried or concerned. The Auror smiled nostalgically at the sight; it seemed Harry had taken more from his father than just looks.

"Will the nervous man be there too?" the child finally asked, his eyes reflecting his discomfort. "The one that used to laugh with you and Daddy and Moony, even though he always looked scared?"

 _Pettigrew,_ Sirius realized, horrified. _He's talking about the rat._

The anger was difficult to reign in, even after all this time, but Sirius managed it by finding calm in his Godson's gaze. "No, Prongslet," he answered finally, shaking his head. "The nervous man isn't going to be there."

 _How in the name of quiddich am I going to tell him what really happened that night?_

"Good," Harry nodded happily, distracting Sirius from his concerns. "I don't think I like him."

"Yes, well," Sirius couldn't help a small, affectionate smile, "I don't really like him either, pup."

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 _Aaand…done._

Remus glanced around in tired satisfaction. Potter Manor was finally ready for its two new occupants, Harry's room being the biggest challenge. The house elves had been a big help – they were excited to finally have their 'little master' back, and to have purpose again – but Lupin had wanted to make Harry's room perfect.

The child deserved it.

He had opted for crimson wallpaper with Gryffindor lions on them, enchanted so that the lions ran around and roared silently every now and again. The sheets were also red, except it was quiddich themed; bludgers and quaffles zoomed around it, with only one Snitch (moving much faster than the other two) that Harry could try to catch if he got bored or couldn't sleep. They'd have to wait to take the boy shopping for new clothes, and some toys and books, but Remus had gotten him a few coloring books, wax crayons, some other miscellaneous toys and a pair of jeans with a short-sleeved green t-shirt, just for now. After installing the child-sized desk, an empty shelf and the Snitch nightlight, the decorating was finally complete.

Which meant that it was approaching time to Remus to leave.

He knew it was bordering on cowardly, being unable to face Harry, but he didn't think he could bear to see fear on the child's face, directed this time at him. The little Potter had been through so much in his short life, and experienced so much pain and fear, and Lupin just couldn't add to that, no matter how much he already missed the boy, and how much he still loved and adored him.

Sirius was adamant that he was being unreasonable _("Stop being such a tosser, Rem, you're blowing this all out of depth!")_ but things were easier for the dog-animagus. Harry had remembered them both, but it was obvious he felt safest with his Godfather, and Lupin couldn't help but wonder whether that was due to the perceptive child being able to sense the darkness inside him.

He was afraid to find out the answer to that, so he simply stayed away, ignorance being bliss and all of that.

It only occurred to him much later that he should have known his friend wouldn't have allowed him to continue his avoiding act.

As it was, Remus was half panicked to see little Harry and Sirius apparate not two feet away from him, where he stood at the entrance to Potter Manor, and half annoyed that Padfoot had (evidently) misinformed him of what time they would be arriving.

Those mixed feelings were all blasted into the back of his mind when the child sent him a bright smile that lit up his green eyes and cried out, "Moony!" in an excited voice.

He had expected disgust. Fear. Anxiety. _Rejection_. He quite honestly wasn't sure what to do with the child's obvious happiness to see him. Padfoot on the other hand, seemed to know exactly how to respond.

"I told you Moony would meet us here!" Sirius grinned unrepentantly at him. "And this is Potter Manor; it's where your dad lived growing up."

"Wow!" Harry's awe was enough to pull Remus from his momentary shocked state. "It's a _castle_! My daddy used to _live_ here?"

"More than that," Sirius added, "he used to _own_ it for a little while. You know who owns it now?"

Harry shook his head, still entranced by the beauty of Potter Manor. "You and Moony?" he guessed, finally bringing his gaze back to the adults.

Sirius shook his head with a smile. "No, puppy. _You_ own the castle now." At the child's increasingly widening eyes, the Auror elaborated. "Your dad left it for you; do you know what it means to be an heir?"

Remus was surprised when Harry nodded; wasn't that a bit advanced for someone his age to know?

"An heir is someone who is named to inherit a person's possession or possessions once they die," the child recited obediently. "The heir is usually related by blood to the person, but it isn't necessary."

Both Remus and Sirius gaped at the 6 year old for a moment, who was blissfully unaware of the attention because of his fascination with the castle.

Sirius recovered first, shrugging at Lupin as if to say _Well, hey. What do we know about muggle schooling?_

In that moment of distraction, Harry had moved towards the tall, wrought iron, golden colored gates that served as the entrance to the Manor. Before Sirius or Remus could say anything, the child touched his hand to the gracefully inscribed 'P' that decorated it.

It was the powerful, if slightly violent, surge of magic that brought both their attention back to Harry. Panic filled Remus' chest; the Potter Magic was strong, more especially so over their residence. Harry's magic wasn't close to being matured; who knew how the Magic would affect him?

Padfoot seemed to have the same fear as Harry's little form got lost in a golden whirl of energy that wrapped around the child like a tornado. Remus tried in vain to remember any charm or spell that could possibly help, but the bottom line, was that there was no controlling magic. Especially not such raw, uncontained power. It kept them stuck fast to where they were, with no way to get to Harry. All they could do, was watch helplessly, and pray to Merlin that the Potter Magic wouldn't harm it's Master.

The tornado seemed to last forever, when in reality, it was probably no more than a few seconds.

It died away as abruptly as it came, leaving a bewildered, but seemingly unharmed Harry in its wake.

Sirius and Remus was at his side in an instant. "Puppy, are you hurt?" Padfoot asked frantically, holding Harry's arms and turning him every which way to inspect for himself. It was a testament of the young Potter's dazed confusion that he hadn't even flinched at the sudden and unexpected contact.

Remus breathed a sigh of relief when his sharpened eyesight picked up on no damage. The fact that Harry remained unaffected save some disorientation, was telling of the kind of power the Potter heir held.

"I'm okay," Harry said in a small voice, after he gathered his bearings. The slight fear in his green eyes was back as he registered the hold Sirius had him in. "I promise. I'm sorry I touched the gate, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to." The child began to tremble and Sirius snatched his hands away in horror. Harry promptly wrapped his own arms around his torso, hugging himself nervously. "I just wanted to know where the singing was coming from!"

"The Potter Magic must have called out to him," Remus hazarded a guess when Sirius glanced at him in silent question. "Recognized Harry as its Master. I'm guessing the Magic reacted because it was realigning itself to Harry's magical and blood signatures, as were the wards."

Harry's wide eyes snapped to him, his trembling gradually decreasing with the distraction Moony had unconsciously provided. "The lion called me Master," the child stated, his perplexity evident in his tone. "Why did it call me that?"

 _A lion,_ Remus shared a grin with his old friend, who was undoubtedly thinking something along the same lines. _Go figure that the Potter line would be adorned by the symbol of Gryffindor._

Sirius turned to the confused boy. "It's alright, Prongslet," he spoke soothingly. "It's just the Potter Magic recognizing you as the last heir. It's changing to answer to you before anyone else."

If anything, this only served to increase Harry's bafflement. "The castle is gonna answer me?" he asked skeptically. "Will it talk to me?"

"In a way," Sirius chuckled. "Did you feel anything, when the lion showed up?"

Harry thought about it and then nodded. "He asked if I was Harry James Potter," the child added, "and when I told him yes, there was all this warmth under my skin. And I felt happy."

"That was the magic. Like it's become a part of you, and it will obey your command."

The last remaining Potter didn't really look like he understood, but he nodded anyway, making Remus smile softly. He forgot his own concerns and reservations for a moment, in an attempt to sooth Harry's reawakened discomfort. "Why don't we go inside? I'm sure Harry would love to see his new room."

Sure enough, the child's eyes brightened with renewed excitement. "I get a room for myself?" he asked eagerly. "I don't have to sleep in a cupboard anymore?"

With sickening and startling clarity, Remus remembered the dingy cupboard under the stairs, where they'd found Harry. He had noticed the tiny mattress and threadbare, holey blanket at the time, but still, he had thought Dursley had simply thrown Harry there. But no…Harry had _lived_ , for 5 years, in that _hole_.

He felt sick to his stomach, but that was second to the rage flowing through his veins.

It was only the bright-eyed child, bouncing on his toes in a happiness he probably hadn't had since he was fifteen months old, that stopped him from reacting to the anger. He knew that Padfoot must have felt the same, because the Auror pasted a smile on his face and knelt in front of his Godson.

"Sure, pup," he said, injecting enthusiasm into his voice and patiently ignoring the momentary tensing of the young Potter's body. "You can even _choose_ your bedroom."

"Really?" Harry's eagerness was heartwarming and it served to suck away some of the fury that was eating both Marauders.

"Really, really, Prongslet."

They walked the extensive pathway to the front door, and they were barely over the threshold when Padfoot stopped in his tracks.

"I just remembered!" Sirius blurted suddenly. "I forgot to pick up Harry's nourishment potions from Healer Jeffery! Harry, will you stay with Moony while I go fetch them? I'll just be a few minutes."

It was obvious that the child pushed past his own eagerness, as well as some residual nervousness, but after a moment, Harry nodded agreeably, coming to stand next to Remus and tentatively grabbing hold of one of the werewolf's hands. "You promise you're coming back?" the boy asked, his eyes wide with an insecurity that Lupin knew wasn't related to his furry little problem.

Sirius knelt down to be level with his Godson. "I promise, Prongslet," he said surely, tapping Harry's little nose and making him smile. "I'll just be a few minutes."

The last remaining Potter nodded bravely, and Remus was certain he wasn't aware of tightening his grip on Remus' hand. He didn't mention it, and after a quick glare to his friend, he turned to the child.

"Harry," he knelt down too, hearing the crunch of gravel as Sirius ran back towards the gates, "I…uh…how are you feeling?" he finished lamely, his tone formal and stiff, as if he were addressing the Minister for Magic.

If the boy noticed, he didn't say anything. "I'm fine, thank you," he answered politely. "How are you?" After a beat, he smiled shyly and added, "I missed you."

The admission startled the werewolf. Wasn't Harry afraid of him? Hadn't he ever read or heard about werewolves? Or had he been too scared of Fudge to register it when the mention of his furry problem had come up? Cautious hope bubbled in his chest.

"I missed you too, cub," he smiled gently, enjoying the happiness that came on to the child's face at the words. "I missed you too."

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Harry wasn't sure why Moony was acting strangely at first, but whatever it was didn't seem to be too important anymore. Deciding there was nothing to be done about it, he focused instead on the foreign feeling that came from being missed.

"You did?" he smiled brightly, but it quickly faded when he thought about the past few days. A frown took its place. "But then…where were you? Why didn't you come visit?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Harry knew he had made a mistake. _Again._

Rule number 28: _Don't' ever question the good, normal people, especially the normal adults, because they already do enough for you and your freakishness._

Verbatim from the mouth of one Vernon Dursley.

What was it that was making him forget all the rules? Why was he being so bad for the people who were so very, very nice to him?

Harry clamped his hands over his ears and shut his eyes, hunching into himself defensively. He wasn't in the hospital anymore, and there was no reason for Moony and Padfoot not to punish him anymore when he was bad; he bit his lip, wanting to try not to cry out, because he knew he deserved this one. He had been plenty bad, against his own good intentions, and he could hardly fault them now.

They had been gracious enough to have given him a lot of chances already.

He stayed in that position for endless moments, wondering whether the inaction was another way to punish him; so he wouldn't know when the blows were coming. Finally, after a few minutes, he jerked violently when he felt a touch to his shoulder, and it took another little while before he realized that the touch was soothing. He forced one eye open guardedly, not daring to believe that he was being given another chance to be good.

When all he saw was Padfoot's gentle eyes and a somewhat strained, but genuine smile, Harry opened his other eye, fixing his gaze on the grey-eyed man. Sirius plopped on to the floor, sitting cross-legged, and imitated Harry's position with his hands over his own ears. The child – instead of being soothed – was only further distressed, thinking irrationally in his own fear that his Godfather was _also_ in trouble with Remus.

Without thinking about it, he stood in front of Sirius protectively. "Don't punish Padfoot," he pleaded with Moony softly, his green eyes beseeching. "It's not _his_ fault I was bad."

Remus sent a quick scowl at Sirius, who was scrambling to his feet, before he smiled comfortingly at Harry. "No one is getting punished, cub," the werewolf reassured him. "Your Godfather is just a bit of a prat sometimes."

Padfoot promptly stuck his tongue out at Remus, and the absurdity of the situation, so foreign to him, made Harry giggle, albeit a bit hysterically. Part of it was due to happiness that the adults weren't fighting, but a large part was also thanks to relief, stemming from the lack of anger from the two men that already meant a lot to him. As long as they weren't mad, Harry could stay. In that moment, he resolved to try harder at trusting them, but he also knew that the rules had to be expressly abolished before he could allow himself to break them.

As if he had read Harry's thoughts, Remus sent him another gentle smile. "I'll never get mad at you for asking me questions, cub," he told Harry firmly and sincerely. "Not ever. You can ask me anything you want, about anything in the world, and as long as I can, I will answer you. Okay?"

Harry's eyes widened slightly. _Anything_ at _all_? He knew that there were fewer rules with Padfoot and Moony, but to give him completely free reign over questions? They were the best adults _ever_!

His fear all but a distant memory for the moment, Harry smiled brightly up at the werewolf. He had definitely been right about Moony being one of the good werewolves…he wondered briefly why no one wrote any books about the good ones like Moony, but he was sidetracked by the sheer amount of questions he could ask.

"Why is a Healer different from a doctor? And who was the man with the big beard who came to see me in the hospital? And how does my magic command the castle? What's the difference between my magic and Potter Magic?" he asked quickly, lest Remus or Sirius change their minds.

Remus chuckled in amusement, but patiently began answering his questions with an indulgent look on his face.

Harry was so engrossed in what Moony was saying, and similarly, Moony was so lost in his explanations, that neither noticed the pensive little frown that Sirius was sporting.

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Something wasn't _right._

Sirius supposed, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't _sound_ that important, but his gut told him that something was off about it.

 _Dumbledore had_ _ **never**_ _visited when Harry was awake._

He knew, because he hadn't left Harry's side for longer than a few minutes, and whenever he had, he had inconspicuously cast a few wards around his Godson's bed that would alert him if anyone entered the room while he wasn't there. Sure, he guessed that the headmaster, powerful as he was, could've gotten through the wards undetected, but he wouldn't have felt the need to check for wards, and as such, Sirius should have been notified.

Which he wasn't. Meaning that Dumbles had taken his warnings to heart and was steering clear for a little while. Which was good, except for…

 _How did Harry know what Dumbledore looked like?_

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A/N 2: Okay, it didn't get as far as I wanted it to, but Harry's tour around Potter Manor is coming up next, as well as some discussion on Ker…

Hope y'all enjoyed! Please review and let me know what you thought!

-Marissa


	7. A Good Head on His Shoulders

Disclaimer: Refer to any number of the previous chapters because, Merlin, absolutely nothing has changed in this regard.

A/N: Whew, this chapter took me longer than expected! It's becoming more difficult as I progress, because I've got to take things slow with Harry, even when I just want to rush through his healing process! But nay! I shall write this properly, even if that means a slower pace than I am used to :-)

On that note, on with the next chapter! There's some Ker here, but for the sake of the flow of the story, Dumbledore's theories on our mysterious lady will only be discussed in the next chapter.

As always, a monster thanks to all my wonderful readers and my amazing reviewers! You guys make my heart smile!

Onwards! Hope y'all enjoy!

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Sirius only lasted until Remus was halfway through his explanation of why a Healer was different from a muggle healer, before he had to ask.

Kneeling down so that he could be at Harry's height, he aimed a reassuring smile at his Godson. "Hey, can I ask you something, Prongslet?" he asked lightly. Lupin glared at him, but it only lasted a second, until the werewolf saw the serious look in his eyes.

Ignoring his friend, the Auror kept his eyes on Harry, waiting patiently for an answer. The child tugged at a lock of his hair, an unconscious gesture that was telling of his nerves.

"Was I bad?" he asked anxiously, his big green eyes wide with trepidation.

Sirius' heart clenched. The young Potter was the sweetest, kindest, politest, most loving little boy Sirius knew, and he hated that those blasted muggles had made Harry question himself and doubt what an amazing, fantastic child he was.

Pushing past his anger and sorrow, the dog animagus held out his hand, waiting until Harry hesitantly placed his much smaller hand in his. "You weren't bad, pup," he said steadily, trying to convey his sincerity through his eyes and tone. "I told you, you're the best little boy I know. I just need to know about the man with the beard, that you asked about."

"Oh!" Harry's eyes brightened and he smiled. "The man you called Dumbledore!" Harry frowned, not noticing the flabbergasted look on Sirius' face. "I'm not sure I could answer any questions yet…I only just asked Moony. I don't know much of anything about the Dumbledore man, 'cept that you were angry with him."

"Harry," Sirius forced the words from his throat, his voice strained, "when did you even _see_ Professor Dumbledore? Him and I haven't been in the same room together around you."

Harry giggled, and although the sound made the Auror's heart warm, he also felt somewhat discomforted by the fact that Harry thought he was joking.

"I _saw_ you," the child answered plainly, still thinking that Sirius was making fun. "Ker showed me."

Remus might not have immediately understood why Sirius had been so tense about Dumbledore, but at the mention of this mysterious Ker, the werewolf was thrown into high alert. Even so, he managed to keep a calm, level tone when talking to Harry. "Hey cub," he asked with a smile, "who's Ker? You never told us about him."

"Ker's a girl," Harry corrected, "and she's my first ever friend!" There was an earnest look on his face, and if anything was certain, it was that Harry truly believed this girl was a friend.

Sirius and Remus, however, were much harder to convince than a 6-year-old who had never had much in the way of friendship in his short life.

"Where did you meet Ker, pup?" The Auror asked, keeping his expression deliberately casual.

Harry blinked owlishly, and despite their best attempts, it was obvious that the child was quickly becoming aware that something was amiss. "She was in my dream, when I was asleep," he answered in a small voice, tensing up. "Am I not allowed to be friends with her?"

Sitting down on the floor and crossing his legs Indian-style, Sirius couldn't help but chastise himself for allowing – more than that, for _putting_ – that sad and timid vibration back into his Godson's voice.

"I'm just a little worried because we haven't met her too, pup," he admitted, smiling when Harry, after a moment of hesitation, perched on the edge of his knee. He wrapped his arms around the child and his smile grew to reach his eyes when the Potter heir took hold of one of his hands and patted it comfortingly. It was a gesture so natural to the little boy; just like the protective stance Harry had taken in front of him, when he thought Remus would punish them both. He truly was the best parts of Prongs and Lily.

"You couldn't meet her because she had to go when it was time for me to wake up," he explained, his voice so reasonable that it was comical, even with the seriousness of the situation. "She told me that I didn't have to fear any harm from her, so don't worry, Padfoot."

"Yes, Padfoot. Don't worry." Remus' agreement had Sirius glancing up at his old friend, brow furrowed in confusion. The werewolf was sporting a small smile, and Sirius knew without asking that Lupin had some sort of theory. Even though he didn't look worried, Sirius reckoned he would rather know what it was than to just blindly accept that Harry could be okay...

And it would be easy enough to distract Harry.

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Remus grinned in satisfaction as he watched Harry enter the door neatly emblazoned with his initials.

Even Sirius could dispel his worries momentarily, in the face of his Godson's utter delight at his new room. The child was slack-jawed and wide-eyed, taking in everything around him with childish amazement.

"This is for… _me_?"

"Yes, cub," Lupin answered softly, reaching out impulsively to smooth back a lock of Harry's unruly hair. It was uncharacteristic of him – he usually tended to shy away from physical contact, always wary of his superior strength – but from the day he had been born, Remus was completely under the little Potter's spell. He could no more hurt or deny the Mini-Marauder (as James had dubbed him) than he could chew off his own limb.

"For me, _forever_?" The child asked for confirmation, his serious expression looking out of place on his young face.

"Forever and ever," Sirius affirmed, and the child grew quiet again, brilliant green eyes sweeping over the spacious bedroom once more.

The longer the silence grew, the more Lupin became worried that Harry was disappointed. "I had to guess about the colors of the room, and its decorations," he found himself explaining almost self-consciously, "but we can easily change it to fit what you want."

This only caused Harry's eyes to widen as they set themselves on the werewolf. "You decorated it for me?"

Remus nodded, perplexed at the amount of feeling behind the simple question, and in the next moment, he found himself with an armful of excited child. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Harry exclaimed, his face so full of childish joy that he looked, for a moment, like the baby Remus remembered from 1981. "This is the best room _ever_ , of _all_ _time_!"

It only took a second for the child to pull away, looking surprised at himself for the uninhibited show of emotions. Hoping to avoid another panic attack, Remus winked at him, a large grin on his face. "I'm happy you like it, cub," he told the young Potter truthfully. "And you know what's special about your room?"

Seeing the soft, melancholic smile on Sirius' face, he knew his friend had realized what he had done, but neither of them were prepared for Harry's answer.

"Yes," the child nodded simply, a smile full of love and adoration on his face. Innocent hope radiated off him for the first time since he'd woken up. "My room is the most special because you and Padfoot gave it to me. It means I can stay!"

A lump grew in the werewolf's throat. He could hardly contain his amazement – how did this child, with all he had seen and been through, still manage to keep a smile on his face? Still manage to find some trust, some hope? Still manage to shine so brightly after so many had tried to break him?

Harry James Potter was truly a remarkable child, and not only for the reasons the wizarding world hailed him for.

Sirius seemed to be no better off, but his friend only dropped to a knee and opened his arms slightly, offering a hug. Harry responded immediately, smiling another big smile as he cuddled into his Godfather's chest, giving Remus the same treatment shortly after.

 _We can do this,_ the werewolf thought to himself as he brought the child gently into his arms. _We can show him how to trust again. We can give him the life he should have had after James and Lily._

"Another thing that makes your room special," Sirius spoke, his voice only slightly uneven, "is that this room used to be your Dad's."

Harry pulled away and fixed them both with wide, awed eyes. "Really?" he asked in almost a whisper, as though he were afraid it was a joke.

"Really, pup," Sirius nodded, that sad little smile back on his face. "Your dad and me spent many nights in this very room, plotting ways to drive your grandparents mental."

Harry giggled slightly at that, making the Marauders smile. "Are you sure Daddy won't mind me having his room?" he asked, childish worry in his verdant eyes. "It's a very nice room, and I love it so much already, but I wouldn't want Daddy to be disappointed."

Remus was certain that the sound of his heart breaking was only shadowed by the sound of Sirius' heart shattering the same way.

"Your Dad would be overjoyed for you to have a piece of him, cub," Remus told the child gently.

"He loved you so much, pup," Sirius added, cupping his cheek briefly. "More than anything in the world."

Remus knew how difficult it was for Sirius to talk about James, even 5 years later, so he wasn't altogether surprised when Sirius changed the subject abruptly. It did, however, still annoy him.

"You want to explore the room a little, pup?" the Auror asked, ignoring Lupin's scowl. "Me and Moony are gonna be just outside the door."

Immediately, Harry's face grew worried and he clutched a little tighter to the wolf teddy in his arms. "What's wrong?" he asked in a small voice, his little body tense.

"Nothing at all, Prongslet," Sirius declared, and if his voice was just a little _too_ cheerful, then Harry either didn't notice, or he was gracious enough not to comment. Lupin suspected it was the latter, because as young as he was, the two Marauders hadn't yet been able to get anything past the 6-year-old.

"We're just going to talk about what the Healer told Padfoot while I wasn't at the hospital, cub," Remus added reassuringly. Once again, he doubted the Potter heir was buying their story, but even so, Harry nodded slightly.

"Okay…" Harry still seemed dubious but he sent them a tiny smile half-heartedly showing them his plush toy. "I'll stay here with my Moony."

Remus could tell that the child was uneasy, but before he could even try to soothe him, Sirius was dragging him out of the room by his elbow and shutting the door behind them. He cast an irritated look at his longtime friend. "Really, Padfoot?" he asked, a little more sharply than he intended. "You couldn't have waited until Harry was properly busy and didn't need us?"

His friend seemed either oblivious, or just unaffected by his tone. "How did Harry know?" Sirius asked grimly, his eyes troubled. "How did he know what Dumbledore looked like?"

"Well, Harry was unconscious," Remus voiced his theory, "so perhaps it was his magic that was letting him remain in contact with the real world, even while he was recovering?"

"How does that explain the mysterious Ker?" Sirius asked, his brow furrowed in skepticism.

Remus thought a little, trying to figure out a way to voice, what had sounded like, a completely plausible explanation in his head. "Perhaps she was a figment of Harry's imagination?" he suggested. "A way for his mind to comprehend what was happening. Up until we spoke to him, he had no idea magic was real. Maybe Ker is just a being Harry created in his mind that represents his magic."

The Auror didn't look convinced. "It seems too specific to be his imagination."

"What's the alternative?" Lupin asked rhetorically. But then, Sirius was never very good at leaving rhetorical questions...well, _rhetorical_.

"What if it's a magical being?" The dog-animagus argued with an apprehensive frown. "Something that managed to get into his mind and convince him that it means no harm? You said it yourself; up until our talk with him, Harry had no idea about all this. He wouldn't be able to tell if the creature was someone or something magical."

"You had wards around Harry the whole time," Remus countered. "Won't those have triggered with a magical signature you didn't recognize?"

Sirius huffed, frustration appearing in his grey eyes. "Fair enough."

The two Marauders stood for a moment in silence, but both knew what had to be done, because something this obscure couldn't be an easy out.

They had to go see Dumbledore.

Moony knew his friend had reached the same conclusion as he had, and judging by his scowl, Sirius was not happy about it. They both knew, however, that their former headmaster seemed to dabble in the strange and unconventional, and if anyone knew what Ker was, or could find out what she was, it would be him.

That is, if she was even something in existence, and not a creation of Harry's imagination.

Sirius sighed and made to open the door again, when a sudden, sickening thud, and a cry of shock cut short, turned both of them cold.

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"What do you think, Moony?" Harry asked his wolf teddy worriedly as he paced back and forth. "Were they lying? Are they showing me Daddy's room just so I'll know it's here, after they send me back to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia?"

Try as he might, Harry just couldn't accept their promises without any doubts. After all, promises were made and broken all the time; who was he to believe that he deserved such nice things, and people as good as Padfoot and Moony?

He clutched his toy closer still. As a certified genius, Harry was all-too-aware, even at 6 years old, of how ridiculous it was to be talking to the stuffed animal and seeking reassurance from it as though it were animate. That said, he couldn't deny that it brought him a small measure of comfort on an emotional level.

Tired from his pacing now, he shuffled to the bed and set Moony on top of the covers before hoisting himself up as well. The bed was far higher than he was used to, given that the little cot in his cupboard was barely off the floor, and he couldn't help but thrill at how comfortable it was.

Suddenly, something on his duvet moved, making him jerk in surprise. Unfortunately, he was perched precariously, barely atop the bed, and the motion made him tumble backwards. Harry cried out in alarm as he fell, arms swinging wildly in an attempt to catch on to anything to stop or slow his descent, to no avail.

He seemed to fall for minutes, when in reality, it was probably only half a second before his head met the ground with an unforgiving _crack_.

And everything gave way to darkness.

 _Harry blinked, sitting up gingerly. He noticed two things at once; the lack of pain in his head and chest, and the lake around him, both of which meant one thing._

" _Ker?" he called out, scrambling to his feet and casting his eyes around in search of his friend. "Are you here?"_

 _A tinkling laugh sounded from behind him. "Right here, little one."_

 _He whirled around, a grin already spreading across his face. "You're back!" he exclaimed in delight, rushing over to her. "I looked for you when I was asleep in the hospital, but you weren't there."_

" _I had some…business, young Harry," Ker smiled beatifically. "I assure you, I came back as quickly as I might."_

 _For some reason, Harry believed her, even though he sensed innately that she was holding something back from him. It was similar to the night they'd first met; when he had known, with certainty, that she would not harm him, even though she seemed capable of deadly destruction._

 _Instead of dwelling on the strange instincts he had of her, Harry smiled back. "I'm glad you came back," he replied simply, before asking the question that had been on his mind for some time. "Hey, Ker? How come I can only see you when I'm asleep?"_

" _Asleep?" Ker asked, her eyes alight with a mirth that Harry didn't quite understand. "Is that what you are, right now, little one?"_

 _Harry scrunched his nose up, trying to figure out what Ker seemed to be hinting at. "Unconscious?" he finally ventured a guess, his voice uncertain. "I've got to be…unconscious, to see you?"_

 _Ker's smile grew and she patted his head as one would a prized pupil's. "When one sleeps, young Harry, one must dream. The subconscious reigns supreme due to your conscious effort to slip into the oblivion of sleep. However, the abruptness of unconsciousness means that I might overcome the powerful barriers your mind possesses."_

" _I don't understand," Harry stated plaintively, frowning up at her. "You're not a dream, but you are in my head?"_

 _She seemed to understand where he was going with his train of thought. "I am as real as you are, young one," she told him, fingers caressing his cheek almost affectionately. "I am in your mind because it is safer for me to see you here, than in your own world." Her expression grew somber, and there was a troubled look in her eyes. "Dire things would come to pass if I were to see you outside of this place."_

 _For the first time since meeting her, Harry felt a seed of trepidation grow in his belly. "What kinds of dire things?" he asked in a small voice._

 _In response to his nervousness, Ker smiled reassuringly and the uneasiness in her expression drained away. "Nothing for you to worry about, little one. I will not allow such things to come to pass while you are unable to deal with the repercussions." She spoke decisively, but with an edge; almost like she was issuing some unspoken challenge for someone to contradict her that Harry didn't dare to meet._

" _You promise?" he asked instead, wondering fleetingly why he felt no skepticism accepting her promise when he couldn't do the same for Padfoot and Moony._

" _I promise," Ker nodded, kneeling down to his level with a knowing little glint in her dark eyes. "Just like your Padfoot and Moony promised they would not hurt you."_

 _Harry shuffled his feet almost guiltily. "I just wish they'd do something when I'm bad," he muttered finally, looking at the ground like it fascinated him. "That way, I'd know the punishments and what not to do, and I wouldn't keep wondering whether I was being set up for something even worse."_

" _Hmm," Ker cocked her head, considering this, "what if they truly believe you are not being bad?"_

 _Harry giggled at the notion, appreciating the attempt to cheer him up. "Thanks, Ker, but I know I was being bad."_

 _The child wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but with his words, Ker's face fell, unaccountable sadness coming into her eyes. She laid a palm flat against his shoulder, ducking her head to make eye contact with him._

" _Oh, little one…is that what those monsters had you believe? That you were a bad child?"_

 _All at once, Harry felt out of his depth, much like he had since being rescued by Padfoot and Moony and the bearded man named Dumbledore. These people…they were all so different to what he had grown up with for five years. If anything, they seemed to be like his parents; or at least, the little of them that he remembered. Kind. Forgiving. Gentle. Warm._

 _Loving._

 _At one point, he'd half convinced himself that such people didn't exist; that he'd dreamt his parents and Padfoot and Moony as such, because he hated the thought of them being anything like Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia. Of course, his teachers proved him (mostly) wrong, but meeting his Godfather – and wasn't it bizarre to use that title – and Moony and Ker and even Healer Jeff, all those ideas were destroyed._

 _Because people actually were like that._

 _Which brought him to his new dilemma._

" _Ker?" His fingers tugged at a lock of his hair, a nervous gesture he'd always had. "I've broken the rules, which means I'm bad. Which means I don't deserve nice people, I deserve punishment. The Dursleys were right, I_ _ **am**_ _a bad child."_

 _Before Ker could even react to his words, a strange feeling descended upon Harry; his vision blurred, making the place around him, and Ker, come out of focus._

" _You're waking, little one," Ker's voice came over him before he could panic, sounding faraway even as he knew she was right in front of him. "I will find you again; until I do, I want you to remember something."_

 _He struggled to get the words out of his mouth as darkness took the place of the fuzziness. "What, Ker?"_

" _I want you to remember that you_ _ **are**_ _a good boy. The very best. Trust that your Padfoot and Moony will see that as well as I."_

 _Harry was lost before he could respond, but not before he could feel the phantom touch of fingers against his cheek._

"…hurt!"

Harry blinked owlishly as he came to, in Padfoot's arms and with his head being touched fleetingly and ever so gently, all over.

"He could be hurt!" Sirius sounded distressed and frenzied. "I am the worst Godfather in the history of every Godfather ever in the whole world, Moony! What if he loses his memory? What if he…oh, Merlin!" the Marauder yelped as he realized Harry was conscious. "He's awake! You're awake! What's your name, pup? Do you remember who I am?!"

Harry was shocked silent at the display of his worried Godfather – he had never had someone so frantic over his well-being before – and so he took a bit long to respond to the quick-fire questions.

"Merlin," Sirius fretted when he didn't answer immediately, "you can't remember? Moony, we have to go to Mungos, right now, Harry obvio- _Ow_!"

Harry and Sirius both aimed wide eyes at Remus, who had stopped the panic attack in its tracks with a smack to the back of Sirius' head.

"Pull yourself together, Padfoot!" Lupin hissed, scowling. "You're going to _scare_ him, he probably wasn't answering because he was trying to figure out how his Godfather lost his mind when _he_ was the one who took a bump to the head!"

And really, Padfoot and Moony were just the most bizarre adults he'd ever met; Harry could do nothing but cover his mouth with his hand and giggle at the amusing spectacle.

At the sound, both Marauders relaxed, Remus smirking slightly.

"I hope that giggle means you're alright, pup?" Padfoot asked, grinning sheepishly when Harry nodded the affirmative. The child could ignore the dull throb in his head, having experienced far worse pain, but the adults' expressions grew somber when he pointed that out.

Before they could say anything, Harry remembered his earlier concern. "Are you sending me back to the Dursleys?" he asked, not without trepidation.

"Oh, Prongslet…" Sirius' face grew regretful and upset. "I am never going to send you back to those…"

"Padfoot!" Remus interrupted his friend sharply, anticipating the cuss. Smiling reassuringly, the werewolf returned his attention to the youngest Potter. "What Sirius is trying to say, is that you belong with us, cub." He made his voice firm, without allowing himself to sound like he was reprimanding Harry. "We're going to take care of you as long as we're around, no matter what, okay?"

The Potter heir prided himself on his ability to read people; his instincts had a way of serving him well, and he'd learned to trust them even when he doubted the people around him.

His instincts were telling him that Padfoot and Moony were speaking no lie when they said they intended for him to stay. That Sirius had been genuinely concerned for his injury and Remus really didn't want him to be scared that they were sending him away.

In that moment, Harry decided; even though he had no clue what the punishments and rules in this new arrangement was, even though he had no idea what his future with these two men held, and even though he had no assurance that his trust in them wasn't unfounded, he was going to believe one thing.

Padfoot and Moony were his new home now.

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A/N: Aw, you've got to love Padfoot and Moony! Hope y'all enjoyed the small appearance Ker made, and I wonder how many of you picked up on a (very) subtle clue…?

 _ **Also, a quick poll: I've had some mixed responses, so how many of you guys would like to see Weasley and/or Granger interaction, and who wants different interactions entirely?**_

Anyway! I'll head back to writing, and wait patiently and hopefully for feedback…please? *bats eyelashes in what she hopes is a convincing manner*

Review please! And let me know if there's anything you'd like to see!

~Rissa


	8. Hoggy-Warty Hogwarts

Disclaimer: Merlin, but I wish…

A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late! Things became so hectic with exams and my part-time job and RL just getting in the way…I've quite literally had this chapter ready to post for the past three weeks or so; I just never got the time to do it.

Right now, I'm stealing a few minutes on my lunch break to post this, which is why I couldn't reply to all my lovely reviews. But allow me to say: _**THANK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!**_

Your reviews truly make me so happy and all the love just keeps me so invested in this 'verse. I am so genuinely sorry I couldn't respond to you all individually, especially since _**WE HIT OVER 100 REVIEWS!**_ But alas, time waits for no mere mortal, and I can practically hear my boss chomping at the bit.

Onwards with the chapter! Hope you lovelies enjoy!

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Sirius had always, since he was 11 years old, felt a sense of _home_ coming to the Hogwarts castle. It was a feeling of peace and contentment, of excitement and the thrill of promised adventures and memories with the people that were more his family than the Noble and Most Ancient line of Black.

Not today.

Today, the sight of the grand gates only caused a spike of aggravation to spiral in his chest, as he tried valiantly to push down his overwhelming frustration at the headmaster he'd once respected and trusted without question. For the first time in memory, he didn't _want_ to walk through that castle; not if it meant he had to face Albus and his worthless apologies. As far as Sirius was concerned, anything the headmaster had to say about his actions, was moot. All that mattered, was that they had led to the abuse of the six-year-old that Sirius loved more than anything and anyone in the world. And that was something he wasn't sure he could ever forget.

Harry, on the other hand, seemed as absolutely enthralled by the sight of the magnificent castle as Sirius had been the first time. Wide green eyes cast around, trying not to miss a single detail of the impressive place, and awe was clear on the young Potter's face. Although he held on to Sirius' hand while they walked, the Auror was sure that the child had all but forgotten his and Remus' presence.

Sirius contented himself watching Harry's childish delight as they walked, a failsafe strategy to keep his temper under control. His Godson's smile had the effect of erasing all negative emotions from him, and today was no different. He even managed to crack a grin when a staircase moved for the first time and Harry yelped, his arms instinctively winding around Sirius' knee as he attached himself to the Auror's leg in shock.

"Sorry, pup," he apologized ruefully, tapping the tip of Harry's nose playfully before the child could feel self-conscious. "We should have warned you about that."

Harry giggled slightly and loosened his grip, automatically taking Sirius' hand again. The reaction filled the Marauder with a sense of hope and happiness; he was glad to see that Harry was beginning to trust him more and more, and although he still shied away from touch, the child was quicker to initiate them now. It gave him hope for the recovery ahead; the road would be long, but every time he looked at his Godson, he was filled with new determination to fix the wrongs that the child had been a victim of.

Too soon, they reached the entrance to the headmaster's office and Remus was offering the name of a muggle candy (something called a Razzle, which to Sirius, sounded like a really lame firework) and the regal-looking Griffins were parting to reveal the familiar staircase that the Marauders had become so well acquainted with.

Harry, still speechless with amazement, followed them easily, only reacting when Remus rapped politely on the door.

"Is this where Mr. Dumbledore lives?" he asked Remus, a quizzical little frown marring his forehead.

Moony grinned. "Sometimes, I think so, cub," he answered with a wink, and Harry giggled, muffling the sound with his hand. "This is Professor Dumbledore's office. He's the headmaster of Hogwarts."

Harry nodded his understanding, and not for the first time, Sirius wondered about the level of intelligence the boy possessed. He knew Harry had to be smart – he was, after all, the son of two of the most brilliant minds of their year – but Sirius had a nagging suspicion that there was more to it. Harry never once batted an eyelid or asked them to repeat their explanations when he asked a question, and some things that Sirius expected he would have to clarify, the child seemed to already comprehend without his help. More than that, Harry seemed to have a controlled manner about him; his train of thought was never scattered, save for the times when his trauma shone through, and he applied logic in ways no child his age should be able to.

He loved the kid to bits, but Sirius didn't think he was being biased about this.

Putting the matter temporarily to the back of his mind, he led his charge into Dumbledore's office. Harry hid behind him, one hand unconsciously bunched in the fabric of his robes, and the dog-animagus reached down to run a hand soothingly through the child's trademark Potter locks.

"Good afternoon, Remus, Sirius," Albus nodded at them in greeting, a genial smile on his face. "Please, take a seat."

They complied, although Sirius did so somewhat grudgingly, and the Auror lifted Harry to sit on his lap when the child hovered hesitantly next to him. Sirius was rewarded with a happy smile, and the young Potter nestled cautiously into him.

"Ah," Dumbledore smiled at the sight, his blue eyes twinkling. "Young Mr. Potter."

Startled at being addressed, Harry jerked slightly, seeking comfort by burrowing closer to Sirius even as he lifted his face to meet Dumbledore's eyes. "H-hello, Sir," Harry greeted in a small, almost timid voice. "Pleasure to meet you," he added, remembering to be polite even in his apprehension.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, my dear boy," Albus' smile grew, and despite his anger, Sirius couldn't deny the genuine fondness he saw in the headmaster's eyes. "I trust you are enjoying your new home?"

At this, Harry lost some of his wariness, head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. "Yes, Sir!" he smiled broadly, affection and happiness clear in his verdant orbs. "Padfoot and Moony are the best, ever, in the whole world."

Both Marauders had to smile at the genuine love and sincerity in the little boy's matter-of-factly voice. They shared a grin over his head, a look of mutual understanding passing between them, that they would never allow Harry to ever feel any differently about them.

"I do not doubt that for a second, my boy," Dumbledore chuckled, before picking up a bowl and offering it to Harry first. "Would you like a lemon drop, Harry?"

As if on instinct, the young Potter glanced up at Sirius, obviously looking for approval or condemnation. When Sirius smiled encouragingly, Harry smiled back and looked up at Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Sir," he said shyly, as he plucked a sweet from the bowl and popped it in his mouth, before promptly making a face and giggling at the sour taste.

Before anything else could be said, the door opened again, to reveal a large, looming figure in the doorway.

"Pr'fessor Dumbledore, Sir? Yeh asked fer me?"

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Harry's eyes widened and a thread of fear coiled in his stomach as he caught sight of the huge, imposing man. Automatically, he grabbed a fistful of Padfoot's robes; even if he got punished for it later, it was worth it for the sense of safety the action brought him.

Before his fear could run rampant, the giant of a man looked at him and grinned widely. The smile was filled with such delight and affection, that not even Harry could allow himself to wonder if the hairy man meant any harm.

"Harry!" the giant boomed happily, excitement making his eyes shine. "I can' believe me eyes, look'a how big yeh got! Ne'er mind, though, yer still tiny ta' me, aren' yeh?!" The man laughed and the sound seemed to rumble through his whole frame.

For some reason, it made Harry relax, and even smile a little. It was nice that this man wasn't treating him like he was a child, and he liked the genuine happiness the giant exuded. Without giving himself a chance to think about it, he responded the same way he did when Ker first commented on how small his stature was.

"I'm only six, you know?" he giggled slightly, the sound nullifying the exasperation in his tone. "I'm gonna get bigger!"

He was met with surprised laughter, Sirius tousling his hair affectionately as he did, and the giant smiled brilliantly at him.

"Of course yeh are," he nodded with a wink. "I'm no' sure yeh remember me, Harry, bu' I knew yeh when yeh w're jus' a baby! Such a tiny li'l thing yeh were…could fit yeh in one hand, I could!"

All at once, a flash of a memory flitted through the young Potter's mind; this giant holding him, flying on a motorcycle at night. He discounted that memory before, sure that the flying motorcycle had to have meant that it was part of his own imagination, but now he wondered whether magic had been involved.

Harry smiled bashfully, finally feeling comfortable enough to pull away from his burrowing against Padfoot. "I'm not sure if I'm remembering right," he started hesitantly, "but did I ride with you on a flying motorcycle?"

"Bless 'im!" The giant beamed at Harry. "He remembers me! Name's Rubeus Hagrid," he introduced himself, holding out a big hand that was half the size of Harry. "Bu' yeh can call me Hagrid."

The young Potter took hold of the hand, shaking it as much as he was able. "Nice to meet you, Hagrid," he answered back politely. "Er, well… _again_ , that is."

Hagrid laughed again, but before he could respond, Professor Dumbledore aimed a smile at the little Marauder heir.

"Harry," the headmaster addressed him pleasantly enough, "would you like to take a little tour of the castle with Hagrid while I speak to your guardians?"

Although it was phrased like a question, Harry could tell that he was being dismissed. Normally, he would have heeded the unspoken command immediately, but since it wasn't given by Sirius, he was torn over which adult to follow.

Thankfully, the decision was made for him when Sirius smiled gently down at him. "It's okay, Prongslet," he assured, as if sensing the child's inner indecision. "We'll come get you when we're finished here, is that okay?"

Harry started slightly at the question. For some reason, he didn't doubt that Padfoot would have insisted on him staying if Harry had expressed the slightest discomfort with the plan, and this threw the boy off kilter. He had never before had someone who was willing to put him above everything else, and the proof of Sirius' willingness to do so, instilled another root of trust within the young Potter.

Smiling up at his Godfather one more time, Harry slid off his lap and offered a small hand to Hagrid, in a show of agreement. "Bye Padfoot, bye Moony," he smiled tentatively at his guardians, who both offered him big smiles of encouragement and a murmured promise to see him soon. "Bye Professor Dumbledore," he added, smiling at the man and feeling proud of himself when some of the sadness surrounding the man dissipated. For some reason, Harry felt like the sadness was connected to him somehow, and he hated the thought of being a cause of unhappiness to someone; he knew he hated when the Dursleys made him sad.

Buoyed by the hope that he had taken away some of Professor Dumbledore's sadness, he followed Hagrid without much reservation. It helped that the huge man seemed to exude nothing but a sense of gentleness and affection.

As they walked down the seemingly endless corridors, Hagrid entertained him with stories about some of the creatures he looked after, in a place called a Forbidden Forest (Harry idly wondered what had been done to make it forbidden, but decided to wait to ask Moony, who he had permission to ask questions).

Harry listened with delight, his attention rapt on the man, committing all the bizarre and unique names of creatures he hadn't known even existed. So far, Hagrid had told him about things in trees called Bowtruckles, which guarded the trees they were in, and Hippogriffs, which were half eagle and half horse, and very proud. Then there were Centaurs, which Harry was warned to stay away from, for how against humans they could be, and something called an Acromantula, which Hagrid abruptly stopped talking about, blushing hard as he muttered to himself _"I should not hav' said that."_ To top it all off, the giant man told him that unicorns were _real_ , and he also took care of them!

Harry could barely measure his awe and delight at all the new things he was learning, and how much he didn't know about his amazing new world. They stepped through large doors and far away on the grounds outside the castle, Harry could spot a quaint little hut.

"Tha's where I live, Harry," Hagrid told him proudly, pointing the hut out with the hand that was not gently clasping his. "Righ' nex' to the forest."

Harry smiled up at him. "It looks very nice," he told Hagrid truthfully. "Do you get to see all the animals often, then?"

"Course I do, I look after 'em, don' I?" Hagrid chuckled in response.

They began to walk down the path in companionable silence, Harry having to hurry along to avoid being left behind by the bigger man's large strides. Hagrid only let go of his hand to unlock the door to the hut, opening it to reveal a very cozy space that for some reason, felt very welcoming to the 6 year old.

Hagrid beamed at him, likely seeing the contented look on Harry's face. "How's abou' a cuppa tea, then, ay?"

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Though Harry seemed happy enough to be led away by Hagrid, Sirius couldn't help the unease that coiled in his stomach as he watched the child go.

"Are you sure he'll be safe?" he asked abruptly, still looking at the door even as it closed behind his Godson. "What if he gets a panic attack? Hagrid can be quite imposing to those who don't know him, and Harry's just out of…"

"Relax, Sirius." Remus was the one to interrupt him, his voice soothing. "Harry will be perfectly alright for a few minutes. He took to Hagrid quite well, and if anything sets him off, then Hagrid will come get us immediately." He shook his head with a teasing smile. "It's just your separation anxiety creeping in."

"Gentlemen," Dumbledore addressed them, anticipating and preventing the choice cuss words Sirius had been about to shoot back at his friend. "I trust Harry is settling in well?"

"Apart from a minor incident earlier," Remus answered, amicably enough, "he is settling in fine."

Sirius glared unfalteringly at the headmaster. "He still doesn't quite trust us all the way," he added, unable to hide the accusatory edge to his voice. "We're working on it, but he still believes we're either going to send him back to those bastard muggles, or we're going to punish him ourselves."

Dumbledore had the grace to look ashamed. The ever-present twinkle in his eyes faded and a look of weary guilt replaced it. "I cannot apologize enough for my actions these past five years. All I can say, is that I truly believed Lily's sister to be capable of loving an innocent baby as her own. Alas, she allowed her own bitterness and hatred to trump her motherly instincts." Solemn blue eyes rose to meet Sirius' gray orbs. "I made a grievous mistake, for which Harry had to bear the consequences. And for that, I am truly, so very sorry."

The Auror swore inaudibly, under his breath, irrationally annoyed in the face of the headmaster's seemingly genuine regret. "You have no right to expect forgiveness right now, Albus," he finally muttered. "Not while Harry is still suffering, thanks to your _'greater good'_ rubbish."

The headmaster nodded, even though he looked saddened. "I understand," he said simply. "Now, I believe you two had something you wished to speak to me about?"

Sensing Sirius' lingering irritation, Remus wordlessly took the reins. "We're just a little concerned about Harry, Albus," he explained. "He's mentioned interacting with a strange woman named Ker in his dreams, during which time she's been able to show him things that are happening in the real world. He talks about her as a friend, which made me think that she was just an embodiment of his magic. Something his imagination conjured up as a way to comprehend his own power. We are concerned, however, that it might be a magical creature or person, who's integrated his or her self into his mind in the guise of a friend. She just seems too real to be part of his imagination."

"Interesting," was all Dumbledore said, as he gazed into the distance, one long finger rubbing his chin absently. Finally, he looked back at them, a thoughtful look on his face. "Harry seems to have an extraordinary memory if he remembers things from when he was a year old. We cannot discount the possibility that Ker is someone he's met before, and his imagination is conjuring her up as a way to explain his magic, like you suggested. Nevertheless, I think it would be prudent if I spoke to young Harry. Perhaps use mild occlumency to attempt to determine whether any foreign presence has inhibited his mind."

Remus started to nod, but Sirius still felt wary. "Occlumency can have some nasty effects on the recipient," he frowned, remembering his own struggles to learn the art. "I don't think…"

"Not to worry, my boy," Dumbledore waved an arm dismissively, unknowingly making the Auror bristle. "I will be certain not to probe too deeply, and as long as Harry remains distracted and cannot detect my presence in his mind, he will be fine."

Sirius was about to protest again, but Remus' subtly warning hand stopped him. He didn't back down graciously, however; instead, he stood up abruptly, leaving the room without waiting for his companions as he set off to Hagrid's hut.

At least having Harry in his sights would calm him down some. It always used to, before, when Harry was a baby.

All at once, Sirius was bombarded with a flashback to another moment when the youngest Potter had diffused his anger towards the headmaster…

" _I cannot_ _ **believe**_ _how insufferable he is!"_

" _Yeah, so you've mentioned, mate," James grinned, rolling his eyes. "We get exactly how much you absolutely_ _ **cannot believe**_ _it."_

 _Sirius scowled at his best friend. "Sod off, Prongs."_

" _Sirius," Lily tried for a reasonable tone, talking over James' amused snickers, "I'm sure that Albus took the cloak for a good reason. Just because he can't tell us as yet, doesn't mean…"_

" _That's my point, Evans!" Sirius huffed, glaring out the window he was standing in front of, his eyes stormy. Despite the fact that Lily had been a Potter for more than a year, Sirius never grew out of the habit of that nickname, and though she wouldn't admit it, Lily sometimes appreciated the history behind it, that made the name stick with the dog-animagus. It was an affectionate address, one that Lily only sometimes corrected him on._

 _Finally, Sirius turned around to face his friends again, a little more composed but no less annoyed. "If Albus could just tell us about some of his suspicions, wouldn't that help? Why does he have to keep all his hunches so close to his chest? We're all out there, fighting on the front lines same as he is, trying desperately to keep our loved ones safe. Wouldn't any extra information –_ _ **any at all**_ _– be helpful? Wouldn't it be much easier to test for weaknesses in Voldemort and in his defense, if we knew what we were looking for?"_

 _By now, the amusement had died off in James' face, solemnity taking over. It was a rare expression on the Marauders' faces, and seeing it on both of them, lent some perspective to how serious the discussion was._

" _Pads has a good point, Lily-flower," the eldest Potter admitted, adjusting his glasses with his index finger and running a hand through his messy black locks. "From an Auror standpoint, I guess tha- Prongslet!" James' sentence broke off midway as he spotted his son crawling speedily into the room. "How'd you get out of your play-pen? You're definitely our Mini Marauder, aren't you?" he cooed, scooping the baby into his arms._

" _Dada!" Baby Harry giggled in response, patting his father's face. Catching sight of Sirius, he began to wiggle in his father's grasp, obviously wanting to be set down. "No!" he said firmly, fixing James with a stern look that was reminiscent of his mother. "No, dada," he repeated resolutely when Prongs didn't let him go. "_ _ **No**_ _. Pa'foo."_

 _Sirius, whose temper had abated at the sight of the baby, now grinned broadly. His anger all but forgotten, he squatted down as James set Harry back on his feet, hands outstretched in an attempt to encourage the baby to walk to his arms._

 _Harry giggled, walking unsteadily towards him for a few steps before falling back on his bottom with a small 'oomph'. Looking up at the three adults, he covered his mouth with both his hands and giggled. "Uh-oh."_

 _All three of them laughed, Sirius letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he realized the baby hadn't been hurt._

 _Giving up on two-legged transportation, Harry crawled the rest of the way to Sirius, not protesting when his Godfather lifted him up, throwing him in the air slightly and catching him, to the sounds of Harry's laughter and Lily's admonishment._

" _Hello, love," Sirius kissed the baby's forehead before nuzzling his cheek. Transfixed with his Godson, he didn't see the smug, knowing looks exchanged by the other two Potters. "This walking thing is a bit of a pain, isn't it?"_

 _Harry giggled again, pressing a sloppy kiss to Sirius' cheek. "Pa'foo," he gurgled happily, snuggling up into the dog-animagus' warm chest. The baby promptly began to entertain his Godfather with, what sounded like complaints, with how many_ _ **No's**_ _were interspersed between the baby babble. Sirius made a big show of listening carefully, his attention completely absorbed by the Baby Marauder._

" _Hey, Pads," James nudged him slightly when Harry took a break from his monologue, apparently becoming fascinated with the ring Sirius wore on his right hand. "Can you even_ _ **imagine**_ _how_ _ **insufferable**_ _he is?"_

" _Who is?" Sirius asked in confusion, tickling Harry's stomach and smiling at the laughter. "You'd better not be talking about my pup," he added, frowning lightly when Lily giggled, but quickly becoming distracted again by the little form in his arms._

 _James smirked. "Not Prongslet," he shook his head. "No, my boy is absolutely amazing."_

" _That he is, Prongs. That he is."_

He smiled to himself, already a little calmer. Sirius started when he realized he had already reached the half-giant's hut.

Glancing into the window, he spotted the littlest Potter easily, dwarfed on a sofa that looked like it could eat him up. With a fond smile, he rapped his knuckles against the wooden door, waiting patiently for Hagrid to let him in.

He was greeted warmly, Hagrid with a clap to the back, and Harry with a sunny smile. Instinctively, he made a beeline for his Godson, settling on the sofa next to him but wary still, of touching him unexpectedly.

Instead, he offered a grin of his own. "Enjoying your visit, Prongslet?"

The youngest Potter nodded enthusiastically. "Yup. Hagrid's teaching me about all the animals!"

"Is he now?" Sirius chuckled, nodding at Hagrid in an attempt to convey his silent gratitude. "Getting a head start on studying…that's your mother's trait coming through."

Harry grinned at him, his green eyes sparkling in a way that was far too rare for someone as treasured and precious as he. "My mother liked learning things?"

"Oh, yes," Sirius nodded, taking a chance and ruffling Harry's hair lightly, pleased when the child leaned into the touch. "Your dad was no slouch, but your mum was the real bookworm, next to Remus."

"An' I never me'h a kinder person than yer mum," Hagrid declared. "Nor a braver person than yer dad."

Harry didn't answer to that, but the beaming smile on his face spoke volumes more about how he felt, learning about his parents, than any amount of words could have.

"I daresay our young Mr. Potter will prove to be just as kind and brave as his parents before him," Dumbledore's benign voice drifted over them, drawing their attention to the door, where he stood with Remus.

Unaware of the tension that suddenly filled Sirius, Harry smiled up at the older man. "Hullo, Sir," he greeted politely, even as he instinctively moved closer to Padfoot. "Hi, Moony."

"Hello, Harry," Lupin moved politely around Dumbledore, who echoed the greeting as the werewolf settled on the other side of the young Potter, both Marauders unconsciously shielding the child. "Did I hear that you and Hagrid were studying?"

The Potter heir nodded enthusiastically, leaning into his Godfather without realizing it as he shifted to face Remus. "Hagrid was telling me about all the creatures in the forest. Why's it forbidden, Moony?"

"Um…" the werewolf grinned sheepishly, a guilty smile on his face, while Sirius let out a full-belied laugh from behind Harry. "That would be a story for another day, cub, as it is quite a long one, involving your father, your Godfather and I, and a misadventure in tea parties."

Harry was smiling bemusedly, glancing up at his chuckling guardians before nodding in acquiescence. "Okay, Moony. Are we going to leave, now?" Even as he asked, Harry shifted on to the edge of the large couch, in preparation to go.

Without warning, a throb of pain settled at Harry's temples, making the child wince slightly. His guardians, still oblivious to his discomfort, were each in their own worlds, reminiscing of a simpler time.

Now, Harry was accustomed to pain, given how much of it had been inflicted on him in his short life, but when the dull throbbing became sharp bursts of pain, originating sporadically between his temples and the base of his skull, the young Potter couldn't help but to let out a little gasp. Little hands flew to his head as he gripped at his temples, a vain attempt to ward off the uncomfortable shocks of pain, and it was then that the Marauders took note of what was going on.

It took Sirius half a beat to realize what was happening, having been in the same position Harry was in himself, when he was learning Occlumency (although granted, he was complaining about the pain a lot more quickly, and a lot more animatedly, than the little boy).

"Stop!" he snarled warningly at Albus, who had a look of perplexed consternation on his aged face. Abruptly, he gathered his young charge in his arms, as though it would shield him from the mental attack. Small arms gripping on to him and Harry's face burrowing into the side of his neck, only fueled his resolve.

His wand was in his hand with an expert flick of his wrist – telling of his Auror training – and, reacting to its owner's temper, sparks flew from the tip as he pointed it at the headmaster.

" _ **Stop**_ , Dumbledore, _**right**_ _**now**_." He stated coldly, and the slight display of magic seemed to have gotten through to the headmaster, because suddenly Harry relaxed against him, the child's sigh of relief puffing against his throat as Harry curled closer into him. He holstered his wand cautiously, seeing the stricken and remorseful look on the headmaster's face before turning his focus towards the child in his arms. "Are you alright, pup?" he asked gently, carding his long fingers through messy black locks.

Harry nodded without lifting his head. "What was that?" he asked in a small, uncertain voice that hurt Sirius' heart.

"A mistake," Remus answered before he could, and before Sirius could lay into his friend for defending the headmaster, he caught sight of the werewolf's narrowed eyes and clenched fists, aimed at Albus himself. "It was a mistake, cub." Turning his attention back to the child in Padfoot's arms, the werewolf visibly softened. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Reacting to Moony's soft concern, Harry lifted his head, a brave look adorning his young face. "I'm fine, Moony. Really. It's all gone now, Padfoot made it go away."

Sirius thought he could have produced a thousand Patronuses when Harry looked at him with open, childish adoration.

The feeling was short-lived, turning back to protective anger when Dumbledore took a step forward.

"I am so very sorry, my dear boy," the elderly wizard apologized ardently, his blue eyes dimming when Sirius pulled Harry closer to him protectively. "The mistake was mine. I am afraid I tend to push too hard sometimes."

Harry, either unaware of Sirius' tension or unheeding of it, turned to face the headmaster, remaining in his Godfather's arms but pinning Albus with green eyes that seemed to see straight through them all, with a shrewdness that a child his age had no right having.

After a long, intense moment, the young Potter cocked his head to the side. "It's alright, Sir," he said finally, softly. "I don't think you meant to hurt me."

In the abused child's mind, the lack of intent meant everything.

To Sirius, however, any harm befalling his precious Godson was unforgivable. "It should never have happened," the dog-animagus stated evenly, the words as much to Harry as they were to Dumbledore. "I don't care to detail what will happen if it occurs again, Albus."

It was as veiled a threat as he could give, but the Auror wondered if the child still picked up on it, from the shocked and slightly awed widening of green eyes.

"Harry, cub," Remus interrupted smoothly, neatly diffusing the tension. "Why don't you play outside with Fang for a little bit while Padfoot and I finish talking with the headmaster? Right here, where we can see you, no wandering near the forest."

The young Potter looking genuinely surprised that Remus was _asking_ him – something, the Auror had noticed, that had happened before he sent Harry off with Hagrid as well, as though the boy was unused to having a choice – and after a moment, Harry nodded slightly, obligingly removing his hold on Sirius as the man let him reluctantly down.

"He'll be safe?" Sirius demanded, looking at the giant groundskeeper, who nodded solemnly.

"Fang won' let anythin' hurt 'im," Hagrid assured, looking perplexed and curious. Harry left, after Sirius nodded his permission, and it was only after the boy was settled next to Fang, that Hagrid spoke again. "Wha' was that? Why was Harry's head hurtin'?"

Once again, Remus beat Sirius to the answer. "I think we'd like to know the same thing," Lupin stated coolly, turning to face the headmaster with hard eyes. To Sirius, after knowing the man for so long, it was easy to see how close to his temper the werewolf was teetering.

"What happened?" Remus asked Albus, even as Sirius laid a restraining hand on his shoulder. It did not escape the Auror's notice, how ironic it was that Remus had had to calm him down earlier from the very same protective anger.

The headmaster, either unaware of their ire or unheeding of it, kept his eyes glued to Harry through the small window, unbeknownst to the playing child. "Astounding," he muttered in disbelief. "Utterly extraordinary."

"What is?" Remus asked, at the same time that Sirius snapped,

"Spit it out, Albus!"

At their sharp voices, Dumbledore turned around, seeming to come back to himself from his in-depth musing. "I must apologize, gentlemen. But young Harry has just proved, likely not for the last time, that he is far more remarkable than we have anticipated."

"Headmaster," Sirius spoke through gritted teeth. "Your reason had best be bloody amazing for pushing him after I _warned_ _you_ about the Occlumency effects."

Without preamble, Albus glanced at them over his half-moon spectacles, blue eyes piercing them in its intensity. "He has a stronger Occlumency shield over his mind than I could penetrate, even after pushing as hard as I could."

Sirius blinked, his anger taking a backseat to his shock. "What are you talking about?" he asked uncertainly. "Harry's a _child_. He was raised a muggle, he probably hasn't even _heard_ of Occlumency yet."

"Even if he has," Remus interjected, seeming also to forget his temper in light of the discovery, "he's too young to have mastered a shield, leave alone fending off an unanticipated attack of a wizard who loops him several times over in age and experience."

"Alas," Dumbledore spoke solemnly, "he has."

Without giving himself a chance to think about it, Sirius focused his energy on the child playing outside, blissfully unaware of the discussion taking place. Drawing in deep breaths, stemming from years of experience, he cleared his mind.

" _Legilimens,_ " he whispered, feeling the pull as he drifted towards Harry's mind…

…only to be met with a pure gold barrier of resistance.

Unlike Dumbledore, Sirius didn't push, unwilling to cause the child he loved so much any kind of pain. Instead, he only observed, Dumbledore's suspicions confirmed by the tall, unyielding, potent wall of magic in front of him.

He came back to the present with a snap, checking first to make sure his charge was still alright and ignorant to his spell, and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Harry still cuddling the large, lazy dog, none the wiser. He turned back to his companions with a look of disbelief on his features.

"Dumbledore's right. It's a stronger shield than I've ever seen."

"Stronger than mine, possibly," Albus added, "especially given that he is impervious to my attacks."

Sirius shook his head numbly. How was that even possible? "He'd have to exert constant magical energy to keep his shield up all the time. His magic hasn't even matured yet."

"He is more powerful than we imagined," the headmaster replied, his voice strangely tempered, as though he were trying to hide his excitement. "The last recorded sorcerers in history who expended this kind of magic with such minimal effort, were the Founders themselves."

"Is he even aware that he's doing it, Albus?" Remus asked, his voice hushed, as though he couldn't quite believe what was going on, or like he simply didn't know what to make of it.

The headmaster shook his head. "I suspect not. Harry seems unaware of the power he holds, not surprising, given that he is still, but a boy. Occlumency seems to be an innate skill he possesses. There is no telling what else he will be capable of."

Something in the headmaster's tone made the dog-animagus bristle. "He is, as you said, but a boy, Albus," he interrupted smoothly, his tone carrying an underlying power and firmness. "And I have every faith that we will not be testing my Godson and pushing his limits to satisfy your curiosity or sate your need for answers, yes?" Though he phrased it as a question, in a show of his pureblood upbringing, his words were spoken loftily, with the air of one who wasn't seeking permission, but instead, subtly asserting his authority.

Sometimes, he had to admit, being raised the heir to a Noble and Most Ancient House, with power and influence in spades, came in handy.

Not that he hated his family any less.

"Naturally." Dumbledore's affable acquiescence showed Sirius that, at the very least, the headmaster respected the authority he held over Harry. "Although I would appreciate being informed of any developments."

The Auror nodded grudgingly, knowing that they were out of their depth with the powerful child already. With the tentative compromise, the tension slowly drained from the room, making all of them relax a little, subconsciously.

"On the one hand," Remus spoke after a moment, "we can be sure that Ker isn't a magical being. If Harry felt Dumbledore pushing against his shield, and fought to keep him out, there's no way another witch or wizard could've gotten through. At the very least, not without him feeling it."

Sirius heaved a small sigh, his eyes finding the precious child once more. "So we're back on the imagination theory?"

"For now," Dumbledore nodded genially, that damned twinkle back in his eyes. "We will wait until such time that we have reason to believe there is more to it."

Sirius wondered briefly whether his concern was mirrored by Remus:

 _How is waiting for something to happen going to affect Harry's welfare in the meantime?_

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Though ignorant to the _subject_ of the discussion that the adults had had, Harry was not unaware of the tension that presided over them.

Even as they offered him tight smiles, the child's guards went up and his natural defenses kicked in, intuitively sensing the weight that rested on their shoulders, that weren't there when he had left Professor Dumbledore's office.

 _Whatever they were looking for, they didn't find it,_ Harry's sharp instincts told him. _They expected to…and they didn't._

Uncle Vernon used to get _really_ cross if he didn't get something he expected to get, like a promotion at work, or if Harry was late with breakfast, and the massively overweight man had never hesitated to take his frustrations out on Harry because of it.

He wondered whether Professor Dumbledore was the same.

His gut told him that Padfoot and Moony weren't; hadn't they proven, many times since rescuing him, that they weren't like his awful uncle? Hadn't they proven that they were not scary? That they meant him no harm or hurt?

But having some measure of faith in his guardians, didn't automatically allow Harry to trust the same people they trusted, simply by extension. No; experience had made the child wary; he was far too aware of the darkness of people to trust solely in someone else's judge of character, even if those _someones_ were the only people he trusted in the world, besides himself.

Which was why he tensed when Professor Dumbledore offered him a smile, and why he moved to his guardians without even thinking about it.

When he realized he was almost hiding behind Remus' leg, Harry glanced bashfully up at him. Moony had barely reacted, so wrapped up was he in his own thoughts, but a hand reached out absent-mindedly to card through Harry's hair, and the child smiled happily, calmed with the knowledge that his other guardian would protect him as easily as Padfoot always did.

Harry was jolted from his own thoughts when he felt the wet press of Fang's muzzle against his palm; it was almost as though the dog sensed his uneasiness, and was letting him know it was okay. Fang positioned himself in front of Harry, and though he looked benign enough, the dog's proud standing made no secret of the fact that he was guarding the youngest Potter.

Bolstered by the action, Harry stepped out from behind Lupin, straightening his back without realizing it. He also missed the proud and affectionate looks he had garnered from two very doting Marauders, but he did catch the look of interest that glinted in Dumbledore's eyes.

"Ready to go, pup?" Sirius asked, before Harry could think much about the curious look on the headmaster's face.

Harry reached out to take Sirius' hand and nodded. "Yes, Padfoot," he answered politely, smiling up at the long-haired man. Then, looking at Moony, he asked, "Are we going home now?"

"I think we can make a small stop first, cub," Remus answered, a rare grin lighting up his face as he winked at the young Potter heir. "How do you feel about ice-cream?"

Harry thought about it for a second. "I'm not sure," he replied solemnly, forehead scrunched up. He was somewhat distressed not to have the right answer, but the child was beginning to realize that he might not be expected to; at least, not with his new guardians. "I've never had any. That I can remember, at least."

It was true; Harry vaguely remembered his parents feeding him things, but he wasn't sure that any of those things were ice-cream, and the Dursleys certainly never allowed him to have any.

"Well," Moony smiled, and though it looked very strained, it was better than Padfoot, who seemed to be gnashing his teeth. "I think you're in for a treat, cub."

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	9. Love Took Flight

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Thank you so much to all your wonderful readers for your comments, follows, favorites and all your patience! I really appreciate the answers from the poll and am taking all your opinions into account… thankfully, most interactions can be decided at a later stage, so I hope this chapter makes up for my absence, at least!

Many apologies to any reviewers I may have missed out on replying to! I appreciate every one of your reviews and all the love! 3 Thank you all so much!

Enjoy!

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Harry James Potter was officially lost.

There were too many questions bouncing around his head for the Potter heir to focus on, and it was only amplified by the fear he felt, having been separated from his guardians. It had happened so fast…

" _I think ice cream is the_ _ **best**_ _!" Harry declared happily, responding to Moony's question. "What did…"_

 _But whatever question Harry had wanted to ask the amber-eyed man had taken a back seat when suddenly, someone's voice rang out, clear as day,_

" _ **Sweet Merlin, can it be? Is that…Harry Potter?"**_

 _Harry looked up, reacting to his name, and it had all gone downhill from there._

 _People swarmed the family of three from every side, some trying to catch a picture, and others, a handshake. To the youngest Potter, however, it had just seemed like an attack, complete with sporadic flashes that disorientated him and an incredible amount of adults he didn't know._

 _In Harry's defense, he had tried to find Padfoot and Moony, but he could no longer see them; both his guardians were wearing black, as were the majority of the crowd, and with everyone sticking their hands out at him, he didn't know which to grab. He vaguely heard both men's bellowing voices, but interpreting it as them being angry, Harry had listened to the only instinct that had never failed him._

 _He ran._

 _Years of practice and a small, lithe form, meant that he could navigate fairly easily through the gaps of people, and was fast enough that no one saw him go. He ran aimlessly, only stopping when he was sure he wouldn't be found by one of those awful people._

 _He hadn't counted on not even being able to find himself._

Looking around, the Potter heir tried to find any familiar place; with his eidetic memory, it would be easy enough to find his way back to the ice cream parlor, if he could just find a…

…little boy?

Harry's panic, and subsequent search for a landmark, stopped, as his eyes rested on the tiny, balled up form of a boy. He was rooted to the spot, ignored by the many passers-by, curled up on the floor with his knees pressed against his chest, and looking as terrified as Harry felt.

Seeing the boy – who looked to be no older than himself – made Harry stop. He forgot his own near-numbing fear, in order to try helping the other boy, going over in the hopes of providing some comfort.

"Um…hello. Are you okay?" he asked tentatively. The boy looked up at him, an almost angry look on his face. When he realized Harry was no older than he was, the tough act faded, replaced by the scared look Harry had seen before.

He shook his head vehemently. "I'm l-lost," he replied in a tiny voice, his breath hitching slightly as he tried not to bawl. "I can't f-find my mummy."

"Oh, no," Harry sympathized in a soft murmur, sitting down right next to the boy without care of anyone around them. "I'm sorry. What does your mummy look like? I'll help you find her." Harry patted the boy's shoulder comfortingly, tucking away his own fears and digging deep to feel some bravery.

The boy's eyes widened, relief taking away some of the fear on his face. "Well…she's the prettiest mummy in the world," he started, scrunching his nose up as he thought. "She has pretty hair…like mine, but longer. And she has pretty eyes, and she's really tall. Not taller than Daddy, but much taller than me."

"Okay," Harry nodded, pursing his lips in determination. "Where did you lose her?"

"I can't remember," the boy deflated slightly, tears welling anew in his eyes. "I only sneaked away for a few seconds to look at the new broomstick, and then when I tried to go back, she was just _gone_!"

Harry wondered why the boy was looking at broomsticks – did his mummy and daddy make him clean, like Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon made him? – but decided he would wait and ask Moony when he got back to them. Maybe Padfoot and Moony could rescue the little boy, too.

Standing up, Harry held out a hand, smiling at the boy when he took it and scrambled to his feet. "We'll find your mummy," the Potter heir said confidently. "Don't be scared."

"I'm not scared!" the boy protested immediately, a small scowl appearing on his face. "Daddy says men don't get scared!"

Harry thought about that for a second, before replying, "But you're not a man yet, right? Maybe that means it's okay for you to be scared, until you are."

The boy thought about this deeply for a few moments, and it seemed his fear eventually won out, because he reached out and took hold of Harry's hand again. "I _am_ a little scared," he admitted shyly.

"That's okay," Harry comforted, tugging the boy along to the shop closest to them. "Everyone gets scared sometimes."

"Where's your mummy?" the boy asked, sticking close to the young Potter. "Did you lose her too?"

Harry nodded, a familiar sadness making his chest cold. He didn't want to talk about it, but he found he didn't have to when the other boy patted his hand softly.

"It's okay," he said. "When we find my mummy, she can help you too. What's your name?"

"Harry," he answered with a small smile. "What's yours?"

"I'm Draco," the boy announced proudly, smiling wide. "Draco Malfoy."

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"Calm down, Padfoot."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Remus!" Sirius rounded on him. Padfoot was obviously terrified, thinking of all the worst case scenarios. "I lost my _6-year-old_ Godson in _Diagon Alley_! I'm the _worst_ Godfather _ever_! James would _kill_ me," the dog-animagus fretted.

Remus swatted the back of his head, holding tightly on to his own calm. "It could have happened to anyone," the werewolf maintained. "We were separated by all those idiots…what were they thinking, ambushing a little boy?" he scowled.

"They _weren't_ thinking!" Sirius snapped, glaring darkly at the general direction of the now-dispersed crowd. "Now Harry's lost somewhere in this huge place, alone and probably scared out of his mind…my poor baby…"

Remus wondered idly whether his best friend was even aware that he'd called Harry _his_ , but judging from the still-frantic look in his eyes, Lupin thought not.

Godfather and Godson had always had a phenomenal bond; unbeknownst to Sirius, Remus had discussed it many times with James and Lily in the too-short 15 months when they'd been a family…

" _Stop pouting, James, honestly. I can't tell whether you're jealous of Sirius, or of Harry."_

 _Remus chuckled as his best friend spluttered indignantly, Lily simply rolling her eyes in exasperation. So little had changed since their Hogwarts days, and yet, so much._

" _She's got a point, Prongs," Remus teased, only laughing louder when James shot him a betrayed scowl._

 _The head of the Noble House of Potter huffed a cavernous sigh, flopping on to the couch and crossing his arms over his chest. Remus filed the irony of his fellow Marauder's title back in his mind, for later use._

" _It's not fair," James sulked, his frown deepening. "Harry loves Sirius more than me!"_

 _Lily responded the usual way; throwing a mild stinging hex at his arm. "Don't be ridiculous, James," she admonished over his loud complaints of abuse. "Harry loves you both equally, and why wouldn't he? Didn't we choose Sirius as his Godfather because we knew he would love Harry as his own?"_

" _Ye-e-s," he drew the sound out, somehow managing to sound even more childish. "But…"_

" _But nothing," the feisty redhead cut him off sternly. "Your son is one of the most loved babies in the world. Be happy about that."_

 _At that, James brightened. "He_ _ **is**_ _the most loved baby in the whole world," he declared happily, eyes shining in that special way it always did when the eldest Potter spoke about his son. It was easy to see that little Harry was one of the biggest parts of James' world. "And you're right, Lily Flower" he added, aiming a wide smile at Lily. "The closer Pads can get to how much I love Prongslet, the better."_

" _It's also interesting to find someone that Padfoot loves more than himself," Lupin snorted. Despite his teasing words, the werewolf was well aware that Sirius truly did love their Baby Marauder more than he loved himself; in the same way that the dog-animagus loved all of them, but at the same time, so very different, and far more potent._

" _You're both being horrible," Lily informed them, in spite of the smile growing on her face. "I think it's incredibly sweet, the way they are. Harry goes absolutely ballistic whenever he sees that damn motorcycle, and Padfoot always lights up when he sees his Godson."_

" _Harry represents Padfoot's reason to fight in this war," Remus theorized. "He is all that is good in this world, to Sirius and to all of us."_

" _And Harry responds to the love he feels," Lily finished with a nod. "Children are especially sensitive to the emotions around them."_

" _Not to mention," James added casually, "Pads sees Harry as the closest he'll get to a son, without subjecting a child to having the blood of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." At Remus and Lily's stunned silence, he looked vaguely affronted. "What?" he asked defensively. "I can be observant too."_

 _Both Marauders snickered lightly as Lily threw her hands up in vexation._

" _You aren't jealous of that, then?" the beautiful redhead asked curiously._

 _James simply smiled and shook his head. "Sirius is my brother. We're both Potters, as far as I'm concerned. I shared my parents with him, I'll share my son with him. That's just how blood works."_

 _Tears built up in Lily's eyes, a soft look on her face. After a few moments, she wiped her eyes and threw another stinging hex at James._

" _Well," she mumbled amidst his protesting, "you shouldn't have been a prat about them to begin with, then."_

Remus wasn't sure that James had ever gotten the chance to tell Sirius, in that many words, what he had told them that night. Padfoot had never felt comfortable calling Harry his own, despite his feelings on the matter, because he felt it was an insult to James, and then, once they passed, to his memory. Lupin also believed there was a part of Sirius that never healed after James and Lily's deaths…not allowing himself to "replace" them, so to speak, and call Harry his own, was the Auror's way of punishing himself.

He could never allow himself to have the Baby Potter if James and Lily couldn't.

Remus wasn't sure which was sadder; James and Lily not getting to see their beautiful baby boy grow up, or said baby boy not getting the love and belonging intended for him, because of it.

Bringing himself to the present, Moony refocused on his last remaining best friend. "It's going to be fine, Padfoot. He'll be alright until we find him, he's resourceful; he is, after all, a Baby Marauder."

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Dragging his new friend out of another shop, Harry refused to let his fatigue show or his bravado slip. There was one last shop to check out – the one with the broom that Draco had been looking at – and the young Potter had every faith that they would find his friend's mother there.

"What if she's left me?" Draco asked, a quiver reappearing in his voice. Harry had done a fine job so far, of distracting the boy, but the young Malfoy was obviously spoilt and unused to the feeling of sore feet and tired muscles – unlike Harry – and his threshold for pain was very low.

Harry turned around to put an arm around Draco's shoulder. "She's your mummy, she wouldn't leave you," he said confidently, though really, he only had the vaguest idea of how a mummy was supposed to act. He was basing his whole assumption on fuzzy memories of his mummy, and having seen how Aunt Petunia was with Dudley. "I expect she's waiting _right_ _here_ for you!"

Harry didn't know what his backup plan would have been, if that had not been the case, but thankfully, it was not so. They were only a few paces into the shop when a loud voice drew their attention to a tall, slim woman with platinum blonde hair and a ferocious expression twisting her face.

"…my son right now, or so help me…"

"MUMMY!" Draco burst out, finally letting go of Harry's hand to run straight to the woman, whose face relaxed in obvious relief. The two embraced, leaving Harry quite nonplussed. How was he going to find…

"PRONGSLET!"

Before the young Potter could react to the nickname, he felt a pair of arms grab him, lifting him clear off the ground. Because of the familiar feel of the arms, and the nickname, Harry managed to only tense slightly, before melting into Sirius' embrace.

"Oh, puppy, are you okay? Did you get hurt? Were you scared? I'm so sorry we didn't find you sooner!" the man muttered into his hair, stroking the black locks and periodically pressing kisses to his forehead and temple.

Harry simply held on tighter. "It's okay, Padfoot," he comforted, deciding not to mention just how afraid he had been. "I'm alright. I forgive you."

His Godfather let out a watery sort of laugh before pulling back and looking him over cursorily, while Moony simply rolled his eyes behind him, making Harry press his hand against his mouth to try and stifle a giggle.

When the werewolf saw this, he winked at the child, and Harry responded with a bright smile. Once Sirius was satisfied that he wasn't hurt, the Potter heir automatically went to Moony, hugging his other guardian's legs. The hug was brief, but Harry still missed the shocked look that Remus sported, because he was utterly gobsmacked at the idea that Padfoot and Moony loved him so much that they looked for him, just like Draco's real Mummy did for him…

As far as the young Potter was concerned, he definitely loved his new guardians.

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Sirius grinned at the look his friend had – surprise, mixed in with love and utter tenderness – and for the first time since Harry disappeared, he felt like he could take a full breath.

Scooping Harry back into his arms when the child returned to his side, Sirius couldn't help one last check to make sure he hadn't been hurt in any way, by anyone at all. It had been a thought that had terrified him the moment he realized Harry's little body was nowhere to be seem amongst the hordes of people. The only thing that had distracted him, was the anger at himself for allowing his attention to drift even slightly away from Harry, instead of just grabbing him and apparating to the first place that popped up in his head. Rationally, he knew that doing so could have proved dangerous, and maybe even harmful to the little boy, but at the time, all he could see behind his eyelids, was the terrified face of the child he loved more than anything in the world.

As if sensing his train of thought, Harry rested his head against the Auror's collarbone. "I'm alright, Padfoot," he repeated, his voice soft and contented. Once more, Sirius marveled at the kind heart of the young Potter who, like James, seemed unable to watch his loved ones hurt. "Thank you for looking for me. Thank you, too, Moony," he added, turning his head to peek out at Remus.

Sirius knew his shock and hurt was reflected in his friend's eyes; shock that Harry hadn't expected them to look for him when he was lost, and hurt that _Harry hadn't expected them to look for him when he was lost._

He nuzzled the top of his Godson's head. "I will always look for you," he stated, just as quietly. "And I will always find you. Whenever you need me, alright, love?"

Before Harry could answer, they were interrupted by a detached, almost cold voice.

"Hello, Cousin."

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Being a part of the Marauders, best friend to James Potter and Sirius Black, all meant that very few things could shock Remus Lupin. The odds were astronomical that he'd be bowled over by two things in one day, let alone one hour.

He hadn't counted on Harry James Potter.

He should have, considering the child was a Baby Marauder, and the child of Lily and James Potter. But he didn't, which was why he found himself speechless when, not only did Harry embrace him as easily as he did Sirius, but a _Malfoy_ was actively being civil to them.

"Cissy," Sirius returned, with only a hint of mocking. Lupin prepared himself for the worst, suspicious of Narcissa's seemingly polite tone.

The werewolf almost choked when the Malfoy heir reached out to Harry.

"That's my friend, Mummy," the boy said enthusiastically, reaching up to tug at the hem of the young Potter's jeans. "Harry helped me find you!"

Both Marauders looked at their charge, who was looking at the collar of Sirius' robes nervously. "He lost his mummy," Harry defended in a small voice. "He was scared, so I helped him. Was I bad?"

The question made both men recover from their astonishment, pushing it away for a better time.

"No, puppy," Sirius answered before Remus could, and the werewolf raised a hand to smooth back the young Potter's trademark hair, settling for silent reassurance. "That was a very nice thing for you to do."

Moony bit back a smile at the dog-animagus' expression, knowing how hard that probably was for him to say. There was no part of Sirius that felt sympathetic toward a Malfoy.

"Thank you for helping my son," Narcissa added to Harry, her tone a bizarre mix of formal and something else, indefinable.

Harry lifted his head, relaxing at their reaction. Though he was smiling shyly at Narcissa, he still pressed closer to Sirius. "That's okay. He needed help," the Potter heir said simply. "So, I helped him."

And it really was that simple for him.

Lupin exchanged a look with Sirius, both Marauders acknowledging the part of Lily Evans that was shining through. James was in no way cruel or heartless, but that was mostly towards his friends. The 6 year old had managed to put aside his own fear to help a stranger no older than himself – and if anything was certain, it was that Harry had to have been terrified after their ambush – so it was obvious that Harry was a child to put others' needs before his own. Something he most certainly inherited from Lily.

The easiness with which Harry responded, seemed to have unnerved Sirius' cousin just as much. Narcissa looked lost as to how she should respond, while the Malfoy heir simply continued to smile at Harry, obviously still young enough that the Pureblood supremacy attitude hadn't stuck.

Or at least, his admiration for the boy that helped him overruled it.

Finally, it was Sirius who broke the awkward lull in conversation. "We should be leaving," he stated evenly, and to his credit, he wasn't sneering or making any backhanded comments like he might have done if Harry wasn't in his arms.

"As should we," Narcissa said stiffly, taking hold of her child's arm. She hesitated a moment, before sending Harry a small, but seemingly genuine smile. "Thank you once again, child. I owe you my debt."

The comment, although seemingly innocent, only made Sirius shield Harry slightly with his body, obviously untrusting. Narcissa ignored it, but Harry poked his head around Sirius' arm to smile down at the little Malfoy.

"Bye Draco," he held out a hand, presumably in a wave, and Remus had to smile when the Malfoy child shook it clumsily.

And just as suddenly as the mother and son came, they left, leaving both Marauders relieved, and Harry, completely oblivious to the tension his guardians had been sporting.

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"I don't trust them, Moony, they're up to something."

Sirius glared at nothing in particular. Since meeting his (loathsome) cousin earlier, his Auror mind was whirring with possibilities, worst-case-scenarios, in which the Malfoys somehow hurt his baby Godson. The fact that Lupin was dismissive of his distrust, was frustrating to say the least.

"Harry helped their son," Remus pointed out. "And Voldemort is gone; dark or not, the Malfoys have no reason to ruin their perfectly crafted lie of a life, in order to harm Harry. We'll keep an eye on them, but stop stressing about it. Harry will pick up on it, and you'll frighten him."

That, more than anything, snapped Sirius out of his funk. He wanted Prongslet to have no doubts whatsoever, over whether or not they wanted him there. It was absolutely absurd to him – knowing that he had fought tooth and nail to have Harry – but the child had known nothing but hate and anger and neglect for the past 5 years. In order to heal him, Sirius had to start from scratch.

Currently, his beloved Godson was just in the next room. The Potter elves, upon meeting their 'Little Master', were intent on spoiling him, and with all their household duties done, they were entertaining Harry with displays of magic. The child got along well with the elves, but only after they were done crying at his kindness and respect. ( _"Just like the young Master before him, Little Master is just as great as Master James!"_ )

Not for the first time since blessedly finding Harry, Sirius chastised himself for losing the child on the first day he had to officially look after his Godson. How was he possibly going to be a good Godfather if he was messing up on the very first day?

Remus pulled him from his thoughts when the werewolf clapped his shoulder, likely sensing where his train of thought was taking him. "You did it, Pads," Lupin stated, his tone a strange mix of comforting and conviction. "You got him back and we're taking the measures to begin healing him. This is a big adjustment to all of us, but we're going to figure it out." The old smirk Remus used to wear, long before, found his face again after 5 years. "We're Marauders, after all."

"Merlin," Sirius barked a laugh, "I can't help thinking that he'll out-Marauder the both of us, some day."

"He probably will; he's James' son, after all."

Chuckling lightly, Sirius chose to focus on his Godson instead of the almost-crippling pain that still filled him at the mention of his brother's name. The Auror glanced at his watch, realizing it was quickly approaching time for Harry to go to bed.

"I'm going to give Prongslet a bath and put him to bed," Sirius told his friend, pulling a leather tie from his pocket and tying back his long hair.

Remus shot him a look. "Isn't 7pm a bit early?" he asked mildly, furrowing his brow.

"Nope," Sirius shook his head, popping the 'p' sound. "He's at the age where he stops taking naps, so his bedtime needs to be a little earlier so that he can get enough sleep." With that said, the dog-animagus puffed his chest proudly. "I read a book on parenting while I was at the hospital," he explained smugly, at the look of incomprehension on his best friend's face.

At this, Remus' look of incredulity grew. "You _read a book?_ On _parenting?_ " he gaped, unsure which part to be more surprised about.

"I wanted to be prepared," Sirius shrugged. "I know nothing about children."

Truthfully, he had been hit by a wave of terror when he was at the hospital with Harry. For all his fighting to see his beloved Godson, Sirius had long ago written off the possibility of raising him. But now, with that opportunity at his doorstep, he wasn't sure how to go about doing any of it, especially since Harry hadn't grown up knowing him.

A voice that sounded peculiarly like Lily Potter emerged in his head, rationalizing that he ask for some guidance from someone in the pediatric ward. Sure enough, a middle-aged woman Healer had given him a ton of helpful books, and he hadn't only read one, but _all_ of them. He wasn't prepared to take a chance and risk hurting his baby Godson in any way, shape or form.

It was armed with this tentative knowledge, that Sirius was approaching his duties.

"Prongslet," he smiled at the child, and then at the elves, "I think it's about time we start getting you ready for bed, don't you think?"

As always, the child smiled brightly at his presence, scrambling to his feet. "Alright, Padfoot," he nodded agreeably, coming to stand next to Sirius. The dog-animagus couldn't help but smile back, his chest bursting with warmth and love.

"Can I give you a bath, or would you like to bath yourself?" Sirius asked as he took the child's hand and began walking up the stairs. He remembered reading that, at six, most kids could independently perform bathing tasks, save for their backs. The books recommended he supervise Harry and only step in when the boy needed help, but Padfoot wanted to give Harry choices, as often as he could.

The baby Marauder had had so little of them in his life.

Harry mulled his question over a little. "I bathed myself, before," he mumbled, his voice subdued as he looked down at the floor. "So I think I'd like to, again."

Despite Harry's newfound trust in them, there was still an underlying anxiety that Sirius could feel radiating from the child. The Auror dispelled it with a playful ruffle of Harry's already-messy locks.

"That's perfectly alright, pup," Sirius assured him. "But I'm going to leave the door open, just in case, and I'll just be right in your room if you need me, okay?"

The bathroom was in an adjoined room to Harry's, so Sirius kept a keen ear as he made his way to Harry's wardrobe, after filling the tub with water. Blinking in confusion at the single set of jeans and a t-shirt, it took the Auror a moment to remember that they were supposed to have taken Harry clothes shopping after Diagon Alley. After the scare of losing him, however, both Marauders had wanted their charge within the safety of the Potter wards, and little else had mattered at the time.

Still carefully listening out, he was happy to only hear sounds of water and the occasional huff or giggle from Harry. Sirius made an executive decision to spell his own pajamas a few sizes smaller and noted to himself that they needed to find a way to take Harry shopping tomorrow for supplies.

When he realized there were no more sounds coming from the bathroom, he turned around sharply, only to find Harry waiting patiently at the bed for him, the big towel wrapped over his shoulders, spanning his whole body like a blanket. The child smiled sunnily as soon as Sirius turned around, making the dog-animagus grin affectionately.

"I'm all done," Harry told him unnecessarily. He looked like he wanted to ask a question, and then visibly restrained himself. It confused Sirius, until he remembered all the rules that had been drilled into Harry, one of them about asking questions.

Gently, he went over and pushed Harry's unruly hair away from his eyes. "About those rules of yours, pup…" he started, sparing a moment to be pleased that the child's hair was still dry. "You know they don't exist here, with us, right? None of them do." There was a long beat of silence between Godfather and Godson before the latter replied.

"I don't understand," Harry stated softly. This was the first time the child had ever not understood exactly what one of them were saying, and it hurt Sirius that this was something that would confuse the child.

Instead of getting angry, he forced himself to approach the situation differently. "How about this; me and Moony will make up new rules for you, and you follow those rules instead of the old ones?" he suggested casually.

Harry seemed to consider this carefully, before he nodded his assent.

"Rule number 1," Sirius started to dry Harry with the towel as he spoke. "You can ask any question at any time, no matter what or who you ask."

Harry's beaming smile was enough to temper the anger that coursed through the Auror's veins when he pulled the towel away to reveal a few scars and some still-healing bruises.

He cleared his throat, trying not to dwell on the anger. "Rule number 2," he continued as he began to carefully dress the child. "If you're ever scared or upset or worried, if you ever need us, you can come to me or Moony, any time of any day." Sirius finished his task and put his hands on Harry's shoulders, gently reassuring. "For anything in the world."

"Really?" Harry murmured wonderingly. Sirius made sure the child held eye contact with him, before nodding firmly. In the next second, Harry threw his arms around Sirius' neck, burying his face in the Auror's neck. "Thank you, Padfoot," he mumbled shyly. For a moment, Sirius could feel Harry's hesitation, and he waited patiently for the boy to say whatever it was he wanted to say. After a long moment, his Godson whispered softly, "I love you."

Sirius Orion Black was raised to be strong. He was a Marauder, a tough-as-nails, big shot Auror. And in that moment, all he could do, was fight back tears.

It was the first time since seeing him again, that Harry had told him he loved him.

Flashbacks painted his eyelids, of a brilliantly smiling, bright-eyed 1-year-old, with a heart so full of love that it erased all the darkness of the First Wizarding War.

 _Wuvs Pa'foo!_

"I love you too, puppy," he whispered thickly, in the same way he did back then. "So, so much."

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Remus had to smile at the tender scene before him. He had come upstairs to tell Sirius that Amelia Bones, the head Auror and Sirius' boss, had firecalled for him, when he overheard the rules Sirius was giving Harry.

It made the werewolf smile softly. He was proud of his friend for the way he was approaching the whole situation; reading those books was a Lily thing as much as it was _not_ a Sirius thing, but it was a true indicator of how seriously the other Marauder took his job as Godfather.

Hearing Harry tell Padfoot that he loved him, like it had when the child recognized him first in the hospital, made Remus a strange mix of elated and slightly jealous. He was truly ecstatic that it was such a big step in the right direction for the young charge, but at the same time, he wished he could cultivate his bond with Harry with such ease.

It had been easier when he was a baby; then, Remus' furry little problem hadn't really been a problem, since the baby could hardly understand what it meant. Now, it was something that was almost a tangible problem between them, since Lupin was always worried Harry would find out, which in turn made Harry worry that Remus' distance was through some fault of his own.

He had to find a way around it.

Stepping into the room and sending the pair a small smile, Remus relayed the message. While Sirius went down to take the firecall, Lupin sat down on the bed next to Harry.

"Are you excited for your first night in your new room, cub?" he asked, smiling as Harry watched the quiddich balls move around the duvet in wonder. He blinked at the question, coming back to the present with an adorably sheepish smile.

He nodded quickly. "Yup! It's the best room ever, Moony," the Potter heir stated with total sincerity. His earnest green eyes sparkled with happiness, making the Marauder warm inside.

"Alright, then," Remus stood up, pulling back the covers, "let's get you tucked in."

Harry dove enthusiastically under the sheets, his look of surprised happiness making Lupin upset and angry in equal measure. How was being tucked in such a simple joy for such a beloved child?

As always, he rode the feeling out, trying to carefully censor it from the intuitive child. "I'm afraid I don't have anything to read you as a bedtime story," he apologized with a smile, remembering how Lily would read to Baby Harry, and how James would sing. "I could try to make one up if you like?" he offered.

"Oh, yes, please!" Harry beamed up at him. "Can you tell me a story about werewolf-you?"

Remus felt all the blood drain out of his face. "Wha-…Harry…" he breathed, his horror mounting as he waited for the child to run away screaming.

That's when he realized.

Harry wasn't running.

He didn't even look remotely scared.

He was snuggling back into his covers as though readying himself for his bedtime story.

Taking a few ragged breaths in an attempt to speak, all Lupin could eventually manage was, "How did you know what I was, Harry?"

The young Potter frowned momentarily, the first ripple of fear coming over his skin. _Here it is,_ Remus thought desperately. _He's afraid of…_

"That nasty man from the hospital?" Harry said quietly, interrupting his thought. "He said you were a werewolf."

 _He's afraid of Fudge?_ Moony thought hazily, and then through his fog of confusion, another revelation emerged. _Wait, he's known? He's known all this time, what I am, and he's not been scared?_

Harry yawned, bringing Lupin's attention back to him. "I'm glad you're telling me a made up story, Moony," the child said sleepily. "I don't think I like the other ones now."

"Why not?" was all Remus managed to get out.

"They tell lies," Harry replied simply, pouting cutely. "All they write about are bad werewolves. They don't tell stories about all the good werewolves, like you, Moony." After a beat, he added, "One day, I'll write a story about a good werewolf, just for you, Moony."

Remus was _frozen._

He didn't know whether shock was making him that way, or whether it was pure, unadulterated love for the child in front of him, but he could barely move for the tidal wave of emotions that was assaulting his body at that moment.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, puppy," Sirius' voice came over them, saving Remus from answering. He looked up sharply at his friend, who was smiling broadly at him. There was understanding in his eyes, for what Remus was feeling, as well as a smug look the werewolf recognized well enough.

The dog-animagus walked to the bed, leaning down hug the child before tucking him in more securely. "I have to go to work for a little while, pup. Will you be fine here with Moony?"

"Yup,' Harry nodded with resolute conviction. "Moony protects me, just like you."

Sirius grinned again, while Remus battled with the threat of tears. "Exactly right, Prongslet," Padfoot nodded, kissing the top of Harry's head. "I'll see you both in the morning," he added, before leaving the room.

By this time, Remus had more or less pulled himself together, reaching out without thinking to card his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Moony?" Harry mumbled, leaning into the touch. "Why are you afraid of being a werewolf?"

 _Might not have hid those feelings so well, after all._

"Well…" Remus hesitated, clearing his throat. "Many people don't like werewolves," he explained gently, afraid, now, that he himself might take away Harry's easy acceptance. "They think we're dangerous."

Harry scowled, and it was such a foreign look on his sweet face that it almost made Lupin laugh.

"It's because of the books!" the young Potter huffed. "People don't realize that there are nice werewolves like you." After a beat, he continued, "But it's okay, Moony. _I_ know you're good. _I_ love you."

How did Harry know exactly what Remus needed so desperately to hear?

"I love you too, cub of mine," he murmured quietly, giving a small, choked laugh when Harry sat up and wrapped his arms around Remus' neck. Returning the hug, he took a moment to be fiercely thankful for the blessing of a child that was in his arms, who could have come from none, besides James and Lily Potter.

He pulled away and Harry settled back inside the covers, one hand coming up to fist at his eyes tiredly. Smiling affectionately at the gesture, Remus cleared his throat.

"Long ago, there were three friends," he began softly. "They were the very best of friends, and their names were Prongs, Padfoot, and Moony. They met one another one September 1st…"

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Padfoot couldn't have been more self-satisfied if he tried.

He had _told_ Remus that Harry didn't care he was a werewolf. Hadn't he _said_?!

Sirius grinned broadly all the way to Bones' office in the Auror department, unaware that his good mood was about to be ripped away from underneath him.

He strolled in, feeling light on his feet for the quick progress they were making with Harry. Though there were still many obstacles ahead, the dog-animagus felt ready for them all.

 _Famous last words._

"Sirius," Amelia started when she saw him, eyes so full of uncharacteristic concern and trepidation that Padfoot immediately sobered. "I need you to remain calm about this."

His suspicions on high alert, Sirius crossed his arms over his chest. "About what?" he returned evenly, a sense of foreboding coming over him.

Amelia seemed to realize that he wasn't in the mood to be placated, because she took a deep breath, and steadily delivered her blow.

"There was a breach in the security at Azkaban, and in the rush…well…Sirius, Pettigrew _escaped_."

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A/N: Please don't hate me! *Hides behind rock*

I hope y'all liked the Lupin-Harry interaction as well as the surprise Draco interaction. I know it was a little OOC for a Malfoy, but I had to think about the fact that he's also a 6-year-old. In that instance, I feel like no matter who his family was, Draco would have been scared, and thus, less superior and haughty. He saw Harry as his friend for helping him, and therefore, acted nicely in return.

Hope y'all enjoyed it and I didn't mess it up completely!

Much love until next time,

Rissa 3


	10. Seeds of Hope

Disclaimer: No…not yet…mwahaha…

A/N: So SO SORRY for the delay in updating, folks! RL has been something else as of late.

I don't have much of a stable internet connection, so I couldn't respond to all my wonderful reviews personally, but to those I've missed, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I absolutely adore any and all feedback I get, and I'm so terribly sorry that I didn't get a chance to say so! But I read every review, and they all make my day, so thank you so much to everyone for that!

To everyone who followed this story, or favourited it, I thank you as well, from the bottom of my heart! It makes me feel incredible knowing that anyone enjoys what I write.

 _ **To the guest who reviewed and asked why Remus' smile was strained in the hospital chapter... it's because he's always conscious of people discovering the reason behind his nickname :) It was just to show his paranoid side. Don't apologize though! Details are always good! ;)**_

Enjoy the chapter, and watch the bottom for another quick poll!

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Foreign warmth falling upon his face, awakened the Potter heir from the best sleep he'd had in half a decade.

Green eyes popped open, momentarily disorientated. Harry took in the walls with lions running around them, the big wooden wardrobe, the almost unnatural amount of space, and the dark red curtains that blocked the sunlight, but not the warmth.

 _I'm in Daddy's old room._

The thought made the young Potter smile brilliantly. Though a glance at the clock told him it was a little after 5am, he had slept soundly, much more comfortable here than in his cupboard or in the hospital, and he could still hardly believe his luck for having Padfoot and Moony in his life.

It was only then that Harry registered another presence in the (amazingly) large bed. Next to him, with his arm outstretched towards Harry in his sleep, was Padfoot himself! His face was creased in a frown, and Harry worried that his guardian – his _Godfather_ – was having a bad dream.

Unsure how to stop it, or help, since he'd always simply dealt with his nightmares alone, Harry debated between calling Moony, and trying to wake Sirius himself. Mulling over his options, the young Potter suddenly wondered whether he could comfort Padfoot _without_ waking him up.

Thinking it was as good an idea as any, Harry tentatively patted the man's shoulder. "It's okay, Padfoot," he whispered kindly. "It's just a bad dream. Don't be scared. I'll protect you."

He kept his quiet comfort up for a few minutes, and beamed in triumph when Sirius' face slackened back into peaceful sleep. He felt quite proud of himself, for helping his Godfather, and thought it was a small step towards thanking the man for all he was giving Harry.

Another thing to show his thanks, to both his new guardians, could be to start his chores. While he hated them at Privet Drive – since they was punishable with a beating when it wasn't completed timeously and to his Aunt and Uncle's satisfaction – Harry's face now lit up at the thought of helping his two new guardians, who hadn't made him cook or clean anything since he'd come to the castle.

Carefully climbing out of bed so as not to disrupt Sirius, Harry proceeded to tip toe to the kitchen, taking care not to make noise in front of Moony's room either. When he arrived at the kitchen, remembering where it was from the tour he had been given yesterday, he began to rummage in the cupboards, taking out ingredients for pancakes and eggs and bacon. He made use of his slight frame, climbing up to the higher places he couldn't reach, and very carefully turned on the stove.

He pushed a chair up against the counter, where he could stand on it to reach the hot plates, wincing at the sound of scraping against the tiled floors. He waited a few beats and, when it became obvious that the sound hadn't awoken his guardians, he adjusted the temperature knobs as he usually had them.

Aunt Petunia had taught him how to make breakfast for them when he had turned five, and since then, he'd learned to make some lunches too. He was excused from dinner, mostly because whatever was being made was generally at least three-quarters of his own size. Pancakes, eggs and bacon, however, were staples that he had been making for more than a year now.

Harry worked as carefully and efficiently as he could, thanking his eidetic memory for remembering all the steps. He got scorched a few times, usually when trying to transfer the food to plates, but it was nothing he hadn't had before. Certainly not as bad as the time that he had burned the bacon and Uncle Vernon had thrown the contents of the pan at him. The residual oil had burned small scars on his forearm that weren't very noticeable but had hurt terribly at the time.

Forty-five minutes later, the kitchen held the aroma of deliciously cooked food. Two plates stacked with pancakes, a bowl of eggs, and another two plates of bacon, sat on the table, since Harry wasn't sure whether Padfoot and Moony would want to eat at the dining room or in here. The child, too mature for his own good, put the stove off and used a dish cloth to move the skillet and pans off the hot plates. He had just jumped off his chair, about to move it back into place, when…

"Prongslet!"

Harry startled at the yell, arising from upstairs. Instinctively, he backed away a few paces, eyes quickly searching out hiding spaces. His heart was in his throat as a door slammed open, and then another, before Padfoot shouted his name again. It was only then, that Harry realized there was a stark note of concern, not anger, in his Godfather's voice.

 _Padfoot's worried?_ The concept was not difficult for the Potter heir to perceive, since the man seemed to have a similar response when Harry got lost yesterday. The child had mulled on it for a long while after they had returned from Diagon Alley, and had come to the conclusion that Padfoot was utterly fearless, and brave, and simply worried that Harry was not. He had vowed at that point, to prove to his Godfather that he could be brave too, like Padfoot and Moony were.

The young Potter shook himself from his shocked state, at the realization that he wasn't in trouble. By now, two pairs of thundering footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, and Harry padded outside the kitchen, on to the stairway landing, in plain view of his worried guardians.

Before he could say anything, both men let out enormous sighs of relief, Sirius coming to pick Harry up into a cuddle. Braced for it this time, the child simply wrapped his arms around his Godfather's neck.

"Oh, no… Did you have another bad dream?" he asked sympathetically, holding on tighter. "I'm sorry. I hate those."

Sirius and Remus laughed breathlessly. "I hate them too, puppy," Padfoot answered, pressing a kiss to the crown of Harry's head and sounding suspiciously like he was talking about something else entirely.

It was instantly forgotten when he looked at Remus. "Did you have a bad dream too, Moony?" Harry asked his other guardian, his eyes wide with concern as he registered the man's pale complexion.

"Yes, cub," he answered solemnly, looking oddly like he was still afraid. "The worst."

Wordlessly, Harry held out his arms to Remus, offering a hug. Part of him was still hesitant – the rules and this life with Padfoot and Moony was so different to his old life – but in that moment, the child thought it was worth risking a beating, if it meant also offering Remus comfort.

Thankfully, the amber-eyed man simply smiled warmly at him, plucking him out of Sirius' arms and wrapping him in a very warm, very gentle hug. Harry patted his back comfortingly, even as he snuggled close, enjoying the embrace. It was so different from Padfoot's, and yet, it filled Harry with just as much a sense of safety.

 _My memories were right,_ Harry realized in the back of his mind. _They were_ _ **always**_ _this wonderful._

Comforted by the thought, the young Potter began to build on that tiny seed of hope, feeding it with the knowledge that he was finally part of a family.

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" _Prongslet! Supper's ready, pup!"_

" _Would it kill you to go outside and call Harry?" Remus asked dryly, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the way Sirius hollered over his shoulder. Sirius made a show of thinking about it._

 _After a moment, he responded. "Probably wouldn't_ _ **kill**_ _me…" he pursed his lips, tapping his chin mock thoughtfully. "But, better not risk it," he decided, smirking teasingly. Remus rolled his eyes long-sufferingly, chuckling when the Auror's only response was to stick out his tongue._

 _The old friends spent a moment in companionable silence, neither of them making a move towards the food as they waited for their young charge. After a few more beats, concern began to simmer in Sirius' chest._

 _He glanced at the door to the vast back yard that doubled as a quiddich pitch for the young Potter. "I'd better go check on him," the long-haired Marauder remarked, hiding his unease behind a strained smile. He told himself that he was being paranoid, and that the feeling of foreboding in his gut probably wasn't as bad as he was imagining, but even so, he gripped the handle of his wand as he made his way outside._

" _Harry!" he called out, eyes scanning the sky for the familiar blur that was his Godson on a broom. "Come on, pup, time to get back inside!"_

 _A few more moments passed before Lupin joined him outside, a worried frown on his face._

" _Pads…Harry always answers us," he pointed out in a worried mutter. Wordlessly, both Marauders split up, searching for the little boy they loved so dearly. Sirius was quickly becoming frantic, his mind imagining the worst case scenarios._

 _Even his mind could not have come up with a scene as horrific as the one that met his eyes._

 _Harry lay on the ground, lifeless, his broom in splinters next to him. Voldemort stood over his body, cackling victoriously, while Wormtail knelt at Harry's form, mockingly caressing his hair and smirking maliciously. A particularly vicious tug of the child's hair and the subsequent wheezy giggle from Pettigrew, broke Sirius' shocked inaction._

" _Harry!" he stumbled forward, snatching his Godson's prone body from Peter's grasp. The unnatural cold that met his fingertips made him stop, freezing even his murderous rage towards the traitor._

 _Harry was dead._

" _No, Harry," Sirius breathed in horror, shaking his Godson desperately. The limp corpse provided none of the response he'd wished for. "No, no, no, Harry please! Not Harry! Anyone, but HAR-…"_

"…-RY!"

Padfoot choked as he came awake, arms flailing. His heart pounded against his ribs in time with his gasping breaths and in a moment of total, disorientated panic, he thought he was still in that scene.

 _Nightmare,_ his mind provided helpfully. _Just a bad dream._

A shuddering sigh of relief coursed through him and he took a few calming breaths. Pressing his palms against his closed eyes until stars exploded in front of his eyelids, the dog-animagus forced himself to think rationally; they were in Potter Manor, surrounded by powerful and near-impenetrable wards. They were all _safe._

After returning home the previous night, the first thing he did was seek out his Godson. Sitting on the bed next to him, his hand running through the sleeping child's messy locks, it was all Sirius could do not to wake the Potter heir up, just so that he could hear his Godson's voice.

Remus had waited patiently, having followed Sirius to Harry's room, sitting on the armchair he'd vacated shortly after Harry fell asleep. The other Marauder had known better than to try and push Sirius; in that state, it was only his Godson that was holding him fast to solid ground, and Moony knew that.

The Auror recalled his conversation with Lupin, the werewolf's reaction to Pettigrew's escape almost as bad as his own. After Sirius had explained everything Madam Bones had told him, they had collectively decided to deal with the situation in the morning; both men were exhausted, and needed to properly absorb the repercussions of the night's happenings before they discussed it further. Remus retired to his room and Sirius, still too wound up by protectiveness and his separation anxiety issues, remained in Harry's room, falling asleep on the other side of the child's bed, one hand still brushing the young Potter's shoulder.

With a silent sigh, Sirius opened his eyes, hoping his forceful awakening hadn't startled his Godson from a peaceful sleep. Glancing to the side, Sirius' head snapped abruptly back when he saw the empty, rumpled covers.

Harry _wasn't there._

Throwing back his covers with a strangled gasp, Sirius whipped his head around the room, hoping to catch a flash of jet black hair or a red pajama sleeve that meant Harry was simply hiding, playing a harmless prank. His heart in his throat when he saw no such thing, Padfoot stumbled out of bed, calling his Godson's name frantically.

Only a few moments after he'd burst into the hallway, Remus' door was thrown open as well. "What in Merlin's name is going on?" the werewolf asked tensely, his face taut with concern. At any other time, Sirius might have laughed or teased Lupin for his sleep-rumpled features, but the Auror only had one thing on his mind.

"Harry," he blurted out shortly, "I can't find Harry. He wasn't in his bed when I woke up and he isn't answering me."

It was so reminiscent of his nightmare that it only made Sirius panic faster.

The werewolf didn't waste time with pointless questions; he simply walked briskly towards the staircase, now also calling Harry's name. They were only a few steps down when Harry appeared on the landing, looking confused and a little nervous, but unharmed.

There was nothing that could have stopped Sirius from bolting forward and grabbing his little Godson in his arms.

A distant part of his mind registered, with no small amount of happiness, that Harry hadn't flinched at the contact. He dared to think that the young Potter was allowing himself to trust them – that he was slowly healing – and his hopeful thought was only bolstered when Harry willingly reached out for Remus.

It warmed a part of the Auror that he thought was long-forgotten, the way Harry comforted them so lovingly. His protectiveness was attributed to both his parents, but contrary to popular belief, it was probably more so from James than from Lily.

The beauty formerly known as Evans had been highly protective of her loved ones, of that there was no doubt, but Harry's approach was all James. Prongs had always exercised his protectiveness by one of either extreme; he was either full of righteous indignation, stepping forward in an instance and ready to attack or defend in the name of love, or he was gently sympathetic, reassuring and lending strength by his presence, in a soft way that he rarely showed. Lily had always held the middle ground, and Harry, like James, seemed to work in the extremes.

When it looked like Remus had taken his share of comfort, reassuring himself that their nightmare of Harry being harmed was not reality, the werewolf set the child back on the ground. The young Potter smiled up at the both of them, looking pleased.

Adrenaline subsiding, Sirius realized just how hungry he was, at the same time that a mouthwatering smell enticed his senses. He followed the scent to the kitchen, eyes widening at the delicious spread.

"I thought the elves were going to tackle the grounds today?" Sirius sent Remus a questioning look, absently reaching out to take Harry's hand. The house elves needed to tend to every inch of the Manor's vast lawns, in order for it to be a safe place for Harry to play, and Remus had assured them that they could take the whole day. It was an important job that needed to be done right, and both adults were certain they could handle meals and cleaning for one day, especially given that they planned on taking Harry to do some shopping at Diagon Alley… disguised, of course, as they had learned from their mistakes.

Lupin nodded back at Sirius in response. "They are," he muttered, looking perplexed even as his stomach audibly rumbled. "Maybe they cooked it, and then they deci-…"

" _I_ cooked breakfast."

At Harry's plaintive statement, both Marauders gaped at him, torn between feeling aghast at all the possible things that could have gone wrong when a child and a hot stove were in the same equation, and gobsmacked that a six-year-old had any capability to do so without any of those things actually _going wrong_.

Harry, completely oblivious to his guardians' reactions, simply let go of his Godfather's hand and moved to the table to drag a chair back into place, presumably the same one he'd used to reach the stove. The very action hurt Sirius, and he finally found his voice.

He sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Harry, Prongslet, what were you thinking?" he asked, horrorstruck. "You could've gotten hurt!" The dog-animagus knew he was testing the still-fragile strength of the trust his Godson had recently built up, but he couldn't help himself when he thought of all the things that could have happened while they were asleep.

"Cub," Remus interjected gently, shooting Sirius a warning look, "what Padfoot is trying to say, is that you don't need to do anything like this. That's our job, we're the adults. We're supposed to be taking care of you, remember?"

Sirius calmed himself down when he saw the timid, uncertain look Harry was sporting. The child was inching closer to Moony, obviously still unsure how the Auror was going to react.

Conjuring up a tender smile, Sirius knelt until he was level with Harry's gaze. "Moony's right, pup," he conceded softly. "I'm sorry I shouted, but remember, we've got new rules here. One of them, is that you don't have to do any of the stuff you did at those horrible muggles' house. Especially not cooking," he emphasized, gently stern. "You could get hurt, and then what would me and Remus do?"

"But, I'm bad when I don't do my chores," Harry replied in a tiny, confused voice that made the ache in Sirius' chest practically physical. "I wanted to show you and Moony that I was good. I wanted to _help._ "

If he wanted to, the Auror couldn't have answered for the guilt that was eating him alive in that moment. How he could have allowed those filthy muggles to have his Godson for _five years_ , he would never be able to rationalize or justify…

Remus, perhaps sensing Sirius' distress, took over, gently lifting Harry into his arms. The child went willingly, making Padfoot's chest pang again, this time with some other, foreign feeling.

"We already know you're the best little boy we could ever ask for, cub," Lupin soothed warmly.

Sirius nodded, stepping closer slowly, so as not to spook the child. "Of course you are, Prongslet," he agreed. "But, Rule Number 3 is that you don't do any more of the ridiculous chores you did at that thrice damned place."

"Although," Remus sent him an exasperated look at the cuss word, "let's say that your chore will be keeping your own room clean?" Before Sirius could object, Lupin shook his head. "Balance, Paddy," he said firmly. "It's all about balance."

Harry was nodding, looking relieved at the clarification of another one of his rules. "I can do that," he told them softly, silencing Sirius' protests. "Am I in trouble?"

"Not in the very least, pup," Padfoot answered. "I was worried, is all."

Harry still looked tentative, but at that statement – as was like his soft, sweet character – the child reached out to Sirius, making the Auror's chest burn with warmth and love. He took his Godson from Remus, cuddling him close and pressing a kiss to the messy black hair.

In turn, Harry snuggled closer, comforted. "You don't have to worry, Padfoot," he said consolingly, sounding too logical, too mature for his six years. "I wouldn't hurt myself."

Part of Sirius wanted to explain that he was worried, not that Harry was careless, but that all the equipment was so dangerous, not meant for a child his age and certainly not harmless. But another, stronger part of him, just wanted to put the incident behind them, start fresh. They all needed to be a little more careful, but that would be a thought for later on, when they were settled into something resembling routine. When Harry was comfortable and safe.

When they had solved the Pettigrew problem.

It weighed on Sirius' mind like dumbbells. Bones had steadfastly refused to have him on the case – too much of a vested personal interest, or some other shite she'd spouted – and no amount of pleading, yelling, threatening or bargaining seemed to help the Auror's case. He would have thought that his _vested personal interest_ would be the very bloody thing that would make him invaluable on this bloody case…

Never before had he so sorely regretted passing up the promotion to Head Auror.

At the time, he'd thought that Amelia would have been a better fit than he; not because she was better than him, but because she was _not_. He thought that his skills, at the risk of sounding arrogant, were better utilized on the field than behind a desk, where he would invariably be, more often than not, as the Head Auror. He relished in the physical nature of his work, and there were too many politics that he hadn't the patience for. Amelia, on the other hand, had tolerance and strong will in abundance.

However good his reasoning had been then, it did nothing to serve his purposes now.

Sirius wasn't sure how exactly he planned on getting through this ordeal without being in the thick of things; standing idly by, useless, waiting for answers from people who could never have half as much reason as Sirius Black for wanting to see Peter Pettigrew caught…

He wasn't sure how far into that dark abyss he might have fallen, if not for the shy tug on his sleeve.

Harry was looking at him, green orbs intense and somehow speculative; out of place on his young face.

A beat later, Sirius realized he was clutching his Godson far too tightly. "Merlin, pup, I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, shaking his head as he loosened his grip. "Was I hurting you?"

The Auror studiously ignored the concerned stare he knew his friend was sending him, focused entirely on his Godson instead.

"I'm alright, Padfoot," Harry denied quietly, giving him a small smile that looked almost consoling.

But…how could Harry know to be consoling Sirius? How could the child almost always read his mood? Were 6 year olds supposed to be this perceptive?

Pushing his questions away for another time, Sirius nudged the child's temple with his nose. "Course you are," he replied affectionately. "Let's taste those pancakes, yeah?"

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

" _Ah, there you are, Harry. How has your day been, hmm? Productive, I hope?"_

 _Lily shot him an amused look as Remus lifted a squealing, overexcited baby into his arms, patiently receiving the kiss to the cheek that was becoming customary for all the Marauders from their little heir. Well, for all of them except Wormy, funny enough._

" _You always ask him that as though you expect him to answer you, Remy," Lily observed with a smile. "You do realize he's just shy of eleven months old, don't you?"_

" _But he does answer me, dear Lily. Honestly, you'd think you'd understand your own son by now." The werewolf rolled his eyes, sending the baby Marauder a sympathetic look. "Sorry, Prongslet, I see what you have to deal with every day."_

 _The redhead huffed an exasperated sigh, missing the grin and mischievous wink that Lupin afforded little Harry._

 _Busying herself with picking up the toys Harry could hurt herself on, Lily asked over her shoulder. "Staying for supper, Remus? I know James and Sirius would love to see you."_

" _Is that alright?" the werewolf asked politely, grinning at the thought of seeing his best mates again. Things had been quite crazy of late, with all the Order business and Prongs and Padfoot's hectic schedules as Aurors, and the werewolf missed their school days sorely. Still, he was loathe to put Lily under the added strain…_

 _His concern was quickly dispatched as the redhead sent him a baleful look. "I do wish you'd stop asking, Remus," she said dryly. "Merlin knows I'll deny it to death if you ever mention I said so, but…you could take a page out of Sirius' book and make yourself at home, here."_

" _Are you ill, Lily?" Remus asked sharply in mock concern. "Running a fever? Took a wonky potion?"_

" _No," she replied distractedly, throwing him a frown. "Why?"_

" _Because you're suggesting I act anything like one Sirius Black."_

 _Lily laughed loudly, and Remus grinned at the squeal of happiness that the sound elicited from her son. Both of them sent fond looks at the oblivious baby, where he was now contentedly playing with Remus' collar, cuddled in the warmth of his arms._

" _I can see why you'd think that I was ill," Lily smirked, "but I just mean that you're family. You need to remember that."_

 _Warmth coiled in the werewolf's chest, making him smile softly. "I shall keep it in the very forefront of my mind."_

" _Good," Lily declared, eyes sparkling. "In the spirit of being family, I'm going to need you to watch Harry while I take a shower. Contrary to my darling son's opinion, I don't quite enjoy smelling like whatever edibles he can get his hands on," Lily directed her last statement at the giggling baby, who put his hands over his mouth, as if he'd been caught out. Grinning at the gesture, the young mother planted a kiss on Harry's head. "Perhaps you're right Rem," she mused. "He certainly seems like he understands more than I think."_

 _A few minutes later saw werewolf and baby on the floor of the latter's playpen, actively 'discussing' the rise in current DE activity._

" _Now, I won't lie to you, Harry," Remus told the young Potter solemnly, who was listening to every word with a remarkably grave expression for a ten-month-old baby. "Things are getting quite bad out there. But we will make sure nothing ever happens to you. You don't think those old sods could take out the_ _ **Marauders**_ _, could they?"_

" _No!" Harry uttered seriously, with as much conviction as a baby could have. Remus grinned, tickling the young Potter's stomach. He loved it when the few random words that Harry knew, fit into their 'conversations'._

" _That's right," he nodded. "We'll protect you, forever." Remus punctuated his vow by blowing a raspberry against the baby's hand. Harry began to giggle, but then his gaze suddenly fixed on a point above Remus' head…_

" _DADA!"_

 _Lupin flinched slightly at the enthusiastic scream, his werewolf hearing heightening it. Chuckling lightly as the baby shot towards James in a speedy crawl, he accepted the hand up that a grinning Sirius offered him._

" _There's my Mini-Marauder!" James scooped his son up into his arms. He peppered kisses all over the baby's face, to the sound of a peal of giggles, before puffing his own cheek out for Harry to peck. "Giving Moony dating advice again, mate?"_

 _Harry, taking the question as his cue, began to babble a mile a minute, apparently having a lot to tell his father on the subject._

" _I reckon Prongslet thinks it's a pointless pursuit," Padfoot commented seriously, before breaking out into a teasing grin. "He's got Lil's brains."_

" _Hey!" James and Remus protested at the same time, and Sirius took the momentary distraction as an opportunity to covet the baby Marauder. Harry, for his part, squealed in delight and patted his Godfather's face gently, almost lovingly, before pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek, too._

" _Hello, love," Sirius murmured to the baby, nudging his temple with his nose. Remus snorted lightly when he recognized the gesture as Padfoot's, but he refrained from saying anything. "Did you trouble your mum for us?"_

 _Harry, still giggling from Padfoot's greeting, didn't pay his Godfather's question quite as much attention as he did Sirius' wrist, where he knew the man's wand to be holstered. As usual, the Auror did nothing to stop his Godson's fidgeting, only plucking the wand away from the child once he'd held it in a manner vaguely resembling the right way up. Promptly, to distract the baby, he produced red and silver sparks from its tip._

 _The young Potter clapped his hands in delight, his face lit up with the simple happiness that only a child could have._

 _Remus drank in the sight of the one person who unified man and wolf, in their desire to protect the cub._

 _Moony vowed once more, to never allow the cub's face to lose that wonder and sense of joy._

Remus was jerked from his memories as Sirius pilfered half of his remaining pancake.

"Hey! Greedy mutt," Lupin grumbled, only half playfully. His disgruntlement was tempered at the giggles that poured from Harry's lips at his guardians' antics.

Sirius grinned back at him. "You snooze, you lose, Rem," he replied through a mouthful of food, and before the werewolf could wonder where he'd heard such a muggle phrase, Sirius added, "Lily," by way of explanation.

"Merlin," Remus huffed in exasperation, "at least swallow your food first, Pads. You're setting a terrible example for Harry."

On the contrary, the young Potter was laughing helplessly, no longer trying to stifle the mirthful sound. Both Marauders immensely enjoyed the sound, as it brought back a measure of hope for the baby they'd once known to reconcile with the abused little boy they'd fetched little more than a week prior.

Though he wasn't as vocal as Sirius was on the subject, Remus could suppress neither the raging guilt he felt for not protecting his best friend's son, nor could he suppress the fierce fury that pulsed through him at the thought of the atrocious treatment those monsters had inflicted on their little Marauder.

 _James' son_.

Moony had seen the cub as something precious to the pack; the band of misfits they'd forged through years of friendship; and had cultivated an extraordinary protective streak accordingly, to safeguard the cub.

The love for Harry, from both man and wolf, made it all the more difficult for Remus Lupin not to take a cue from his last remaining best friend and tear Vernon and Petunia Dursley limb from miserable limb.

And alas, it was that same love that kept him from rashly following his instincts.

Harry – for all intents and purposes, his own nephew – deserved a life without all the violence and hatred and bloodshed that he'd already been exposed to. He deserved the life that James and Lily planned on giving him, and he deserved the best that Remus and Sirius could give him. Running off to fulfil their own thirst for vengeance, certainly wasn't that.

The werewolf was jarred from his own mind once again, this time by a pancake landing _on to_ his plate.

"You can have _my_ pancake, Moony," Harry smiled sweetly, his green eyes alight with love and sincerity. It was a huge relief to see those emotions, knowing that the action wasn't driven by the fear of irrational punishment. It meant even more, since Harry had been so heartbreakingly pleased that he would be "allowed" to eat the food he'd made; the fact that he would so easily share what he'd been previously deprived of, was telling of the type of person the young Potter was shaping up to be, against all odds. Remus marveled at the capacity for love and kindness that the young Potter held.

Not one to pass up a teachable moment, Remus cut the pancake in half. "Why don't we share it, cub?" he suggested with a fond smile, placing the slightly bigger piece on Harry's plate. His answer was in the form of a grin that brightened the entire kitchen.

It was among the best things that Remus had seen in half a decade.

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" _Wow_."

Sirius looked down at Harry, grinning at the breathy amazement that had filtered into his Godson's voice. Green eyes were opened wide, drinking in everything that could be seen, and the awe in his emerald orbs was something the dog-animagus allowed himself to enjoy, briefly.

Their first stop was Gringotts; Sirius needed to make a withdrawal, as well as finally get around to claiming the inheritance from his _dearly_ departed mother, and Remus wanted to store Harry's official guardianship paperwork in his own vault of the goblin-operated establishment. For his part, their young charge was fascinated from the moment he entered the building.

"Why do they look so unhappy?" the child asked curiously, tightening his grip on Sirius' hand. The dog-animagus shot Remus a look, and it was returned with a shrug; obviously Lupin had no more of an idea as he did, on how to explain Goblin politics to a six-year-old.

Sirius returned his attention to his Godson, a smooth and elaborate explanation with no amount of truth in it, on his lips.

The words stuck in his throat. He couldn't…didn't want to lie to Harry. He wanted the young Potter to be able to trust him, and his gut told him that wasn't going to happen if Sirius lied to him.

So, with no small measure of uncertainty, Sirius shrugged. "It's a bit of a history lesson, pup, one I think you should only have when you're a bit older."

He waited for the tantrum, or at least the blatant displeasure he knew would have been the least of what would be forthcoming from him, if he was in Harry's position.

Instead, he got a nod and an amicable, "Okay."

Merlin, Sirius didn't know if Harry would ever cease to amaze him.

Before he could do much in the way of reacting, or praising his Godson for his good behavior, Sirius was interrupted by a streak of bubblegum pink launching at him. It only took him a second to gather his bearings, but when he did, he laughed.

"Merlin, Dora, you keep getting older every time I turn around," he joked, hugging his niece fondly. He pulled away, a harsh pang of guilt hitting him when he realized that Harry had tucked himself neatly behind Remus' leg, having lost the grip on Sirius' hand and having no clue who the stranger was that had invaded their space. The Auror mentally cursed himself. He should've known better than to let go of the child's hand, especially when Harry must have been scared to come back after their last mishap.

That foreign, unpleasant feeling returned as he watched Remus hold out his arms, his Godson eagerly allowing Lupin to carry him, snuggling into him in the same way he did when looking for comfort from Sirius. Before he could say anything, however, another voice chimed in,

"Hello, Cousin."

The Auror smirked at the greeting that was identical to her sister's. "Hullo, Andy," he grinned brightly, exponentially happier to see Andromeda that he had been to see Narcissa. "How've you been? How's Ted?"

"We're all quite well, Siri," Andy didn't quite return his smile. "Although, I might just need to hex you for keeping me out of the loop. Honestly, I had to hear through the grapevine that you had Harry! And Cissy knew _before_ me, no less!"

Sirius quickly held up his palms defensively. "Not my fault," he claimed his innocence. "Harry helped the spawn of Malfoy after your dear sister lost him."

Andromeda tutted. "Excuses, excuses. Every time you've visited us, you've not once stopped complaining about how you miss your Prongslet, and when you finally have him with you again, you don't think to send as much as an owl?" She fixed him with a glare, and Sirius responded with a sheepish smile.

"I suppose I rather wanted to have him to myself for a while. Well, me and Moony," he amended, jerking his thumb in the direction of his old friend.

Remus smiled politely at Andromeda, nodding in greeting before turning his attention back to the child in his arms. Harry was still cuddled up to Lupin's chest, but at the mention of his name, he'd turned his face, pressing his cheek against Remus' heart even as his eyes darted between Sirius and the only cousin he could remotely stand.

Intelligent green eyes seemed to be scrutinizing them and Sirius was once again struck by the feeling that Harry was smarter than they knew. But the Auror found his attention once again diverted as Andromeda stepped closer to his Godson.

He loved his cousin, and recognized that she meant well, but Sirius knew that a strange adult was the last thing Harry needed.

He stopped her with a discreet hand around her elbow. "Not today, Andy," he muttered apologetically. "Give him time."

The woman stopped short, narrowing her eyes slightly in suspicion. "What's going on?"

Instead of answering her, Sirius looked at Remus, a silent question in his eyes. He didn't want Harry's traumatic childhood to be common information until the child could consciously decide who he wanted to know, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the advantages of having Andy's help. They had Remus' furry problem to think of, not to mention the fact that she was a mother herself… she could be good for Harry.

Remus seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he gave Harry a few soothing words before setting him down. The child seemed wary, but determined at the same time, and Sirius wondered what was going through his pup's head in that moment.

He couldn't dwell on it as Remus smiled tightly, nodding at him. "Might we have a moment, Andromeda?" he asked politely. "I wonder if we could discuss you and Ted coming over to Potter Manor sometime…"

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Remus had _asked_ him to give them a minute to talk to the lady, and so help him, Harry was _going to do so._ It didn't matter that he was feeling a little uncomfortable, this was important and he was going to prove that he could be as good as they thought he was.

Harry bit his lip slightly, glancing up at where the adults were talking. Padfoot looked like he was concentrating really hard, and the lady looked… well, she looked like someone had just punched her in the stomach.

Not for the first time, he wondered how many cousins Padfoot had. This lady seemed very different to Draco's mummy. For one thing, Padfoot seemed to like her a lot more, and for another, she didn't seem nearly as conflicted as Draco's mummy did. Harry had noticed how Mrs. Malfoy had struggled to find a way to talk to him, but at the time, he'd been more worried that Padfoot and Moony might have been cross with him for helping Draco. Now, though, he wondered if perhaps Mrs. Malfoy and this lady that Remus called Andromeda, had been adopted cousins. It seemed rather sensible as far as theories went, but before he could mull it over, the girl with the bright pink hair jumped into his line of sight.

Automatically, Harry flinched backwards, forcing himself not to call out for Padfoot. The girl didn't seem to notice, but instead of hitting him like Dudley's friends used to, she offered him a bright smile.

"Wotcher Harry!" She tucked her hair behind her ear, grinning all the while. "My name's Tonks!"

The 6 year old blinked, pitifully unused to friendly displays. He could read nothing but happy excitement on the girl's face, and his gut told him that she was not going to hurt him. Besides, if Padfoot liked her, she must not be bad, he figured.

Shaking his head slightly, he frowned in confusion. "Nuh-uh," he refuted uncertainly, his voice soft. Remembering Padfoot's other name, he elaborated, "Sirius called you Dora."

The girl scrunched up her nose, making Harry giggle slightly. "I hate that name," she complained, crossing her arms. "Dora's alright… but I prefer Tonks," she nodded decisively. "S'what all my friends call me, anyway."

Harry smiled hesitantly. Was that her way of offering to be his friend?

"I like Tonks," he ventured with a shy nod. "It suits you."

She beamed at him, grabbing him in a hug that made him gasp. As soon as she pulled away, Harry took a step back, but if she noticed, she didn't say anything.

"Thanks, Harry!" Tonks grinned happily. "You're pretty wicked, for a kid. I can see why Uncle Sirius missed you so much."

At this information, Harry brightened, his chest filling with happiness. "Padf-…Sirius missed me?" he asked, his excitement snowballing. It never ceased to amaze him that Padfoot and Moony wanted him, but they had wanted him before as well?!

"Oh, yeah," Tonks nodded emphatically. "Mum says Uncle Sirius loves you probably more than anyone in the world." Harry had no response to that, so elated was he to think that he was wanted, so it was a good think that the girl kept talking. "I think that makes us cousins too, sort of… like Mum and Uncle Sirius. Whaddaya think, Harry?"

"Oh!" The young Potter looked vaguely uneasy at making such a big decision. "I don't know… should we ask them? Moo-… _Remus_ says I can ask him questions about anything, and _Sirius_ said I could ask him anything, too."

Harry made a mental note to himself to use his guardians' real names more often. They hadn't said anything, but the young Potter heir was of the opinion that there was something to the nicknames that ordinary people weren't supposed to know. It made him feel rather special to be able to use them, but it meant he had to be careful where he did.

"Nah!" Tonks declared brightly, grinning wide again. It was kind of infectious, and Harry found his lips lifting in return. "Doesn't matter what they say; we'll be cousins from now on, okay?"

The girl held out her hand, sunny grin unfaltering. She seemed genuinely nice and even though Harry's experience with cousins left much to be desired (given that the only one he'd ever known was Dudley) the 6 year old really wanted to know what it was like to have a proper cousin.

Besides, being cousins didn't mean he had to trust her.

Ever so cautiously, he took her hand. "Okay," he agreed softly. "I think that'll be nice."

He had to let out a giggle as she pumped his hand enthusiastically, looking excited.

"It's gonna be wicked, Harry!"

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A/N: Weeellll! This was an excuse for some bonding fluff, because we're going to be entering rocky terrains soon. Now, a shout out to those of you who wanted to see the Tonks family, and I'm still sorting through everyone's votes in trying to figure out who Harry should befriend… until I make that decision concretely, another question for you guys!

 _ **Would y'all like to see our most bright and cheery Potions Master in this fic?**_ I've been really contemplating Severus Snape as a character, and wanted the input of all you lovely readers before I write him into this story!

Until next time!

Rissa xoxoxo


	11. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Merlin, I deserve to be crucio'd for how long I took to post this!

I'm aghast and ashamed and I humbly beg an apology, dear readers. Life has been quite hectic as of late, and I'm juggling several commitments. I promise to finish this story, but unfortunately, you might have to deal with some sporadic updates from me. I do have an idea where I'm taking this, though, and I hope you'll stick with me! There are going to be some fun twists and turns along the way.

Enjoy!

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Sirius didn't keep his attention on Andromeda as Lupin explained Harry's bleak situation, both because he didn't want to face the horror he knew his cousin would be expressing, and because he was reluctant to take his eye off his Godson.

Who could blame him after their last trip to Diagon?

A brief smile lifted his lips as he saw Harry giggle, Dora pumping his hand enthusiastically. It rather reminded him of Andy and himself when they were younger; they had been extremely close despite the age gap, bonding over their mutual discomfort with their family's superior attitude and disdain towards human life. Whatever it was that was causing Andy's daughter and Sirius' Godson to make the same sort of connection, it was difficult to say, but the Auror had no problem facilitating such a bond. It would do Harry good to interact with someone closer to his age than Sirius and Remus were, and it would be even better for him to get an idea of what family was actually _supposed_ to be like.

What family _would have_ been like, and what it _should have_ been like.

Something little Dora said inspired sympathy from his young charge, and a grin flitted over Sirius' face as he saw his Godson pat the older girl's arm consolingly. Harry had always been a rather empathetic child, even as a baby…

" _Are you sure you're up for this, mate? Moony won't mind watching Harry tonight, or Wormtail."_

 _Sirius shook his head wearily, mustering up a smile in an attempt to ease James' concern. "We're fine, Prongs, really. You and Lily go, and enjoy Petunia's little party."_

" _By that, I'm assuming you mean I should prank the Dursley git?"_

" _Goes without saying." This time, Sirius' grin was a little more real, and it was of no surprise to anyone who knew the two Marauders; when it came to matters like today, James was one of two people who could pull Sirius from his funk._

 _The other of that two, was currently fast asleep, being placed in his crib with infinite care by his mother._

 _James sobered up, knocking his elbow lightly against the Black heir's. "Sure you'll be fine, Pads?" he asked gently. "I can stay, it's no big deal. Lily suggested it even, something about not aggravating her sister. There was a compliment in there, somewhere, I'm sure of it."_

 _Sirius was touched at the offer. He knew that Lily wanted James there – she really hated going home, and especially hated facing off against her horrid sister – but the fact that she had been willing to let James stay, and face the firing squad herself, meant more to the dog-animagus than he would ever really tell her. It was a gesture that spoke of friendship, not just because of who Sirius was to James, but also because of who he had become to her._

" _Honestly, mate, me and Harry will be just fine," Sirius assured his best friend, adopting an easy grin. "Just don't hate me too much when the weekend's over and Prongslet doesn't want me to leave."_

" _Please tell me you two aren't plotting to ruin my sister's party," Lily broke in with a groan as she descended the stairs, saving Sirius from whatever retort James had been about to make. "Because we have to be there till Sunday celebrating her prat of a husband's promotion, and I'm not sure I can handle the whole weekend with Tuney being fussed because you turned her 'darling' Vernon's hair bright blue."_

 _One of the reasons that Sirius and James worked so well together, was because they were so in tune with each other. It came from years of friendship, and sharing a dorm, and even sharing a home once Sirius had turned 16. This fluid rhythm between them was perfectly demonstrated with every prank, in every Quiddich scrimmage, and every moment where both boys were trying to charm their way out of a detention._

 _In a pinch, it also worked to freak Lily out._

 _James turned to Sirius, who already had a look of deep consideration on his face. "Blue hair, Pads, what do you think?" he asked._

" _I don't know," Sirius answered back contemplatively, playing off James' words. "It's a classic, no doubt, but from what I've heard, it might actually be an improvement on his looks, which is something we can't willfully be a part of."_

 _Lily laughed, a sound full of affection and hinting of relief. Sirius made sure to hug her extra tight as they left, something the redhead didn't miss as she sent him a warm smile. James held on to him for a moment longer than necessary as well, and made him promise to use the mirror if he needed anything, at any time._

 _Sometimes, he honestly didn't know how he'd been blessed with such amazing friends._

 _Sirius spent the time waiting for Harry to wake up, cleaning; he didn't want anything to get into the toddler's system, and dreaded there being anything on the floor that Prongslet could somehow harm himself with. The little Marauder was all over everything since he learned to crawl and stand up, and the Auror wasn't taking any chances._

 _It only took another hour before Padfoot's enhanced hearing caught the sound of bedsheets stirring. He abandoned his cleaning and went into the nursery, smiling softly at the sight of baby Harry clumsily pushing himself up, fisting over his eyes as he did so._

 _Making his way to the crib, Sirius' attention was mostly on Harry as he hoped the child wouldn't start crying for Lily. This, unfortunately, made him pretty much clueless about where he was stepping, and he was painfully reminded of that when he stubbed his toe against the crib's wooden leg._

" _Ah, bugger!" he cussed harshly under his breath, grabbing his foot and hopping on the spot. It didn't really hurt; he'd experienced worse; but the annoyance at himself, combined with the pain, combined with what today was…_

… _if Harry had started crying, Sirius probably would've just joined him._

 _But the baby didn't start crying. In fact, he did almost the polar opposite, as was the Potter way._

 _Grasping the bars and pulling himself to his feet, Harry smacked his little palm against the crib's rail. "Bad!" he scolded, frighteningly reminiscent of a stern Lily Evans. "No!" Big green eyes looked up at him, and Harry held his arms out to be carried. "Hit," he announced, after he'd given Sirius a kiss on the cheek. "No' ow Pa'foo."_

 _Sirius laughed when he realized what Harry had been doing; the same thing James had done when the baby had walked into a wall and begun howling at the pain and injustice of it all. In a moment of panic, James had slapped an open palm against the wall and pretended to scold it for hurting his son, and sure enough, Harry had stopped crying and started giggling._

 _And now, apparently, Prongslet was doing just that for him._

 _For some reason, as he laughed, tears filled his eyes, one or two slipping out unbidden as he cuddled his Godson close. After a moment, Harry pushed against his chest, leaning back and pouting up at Sirius._

" _Ow?" The baby clumsily patted his face, trying to wipe away tears. Harry pressed another kiss against his cheek, exaggerating the 'mwah' sound as Sirius knew Lily to do to the toddler. "Wuvs Pa'foot."_

 _This time, when Sirius laughed, the sound held only tenderness. He nuzzled Harry's temple with his nose, taking a deep breath and finding some measure of peace and calm in holding his Godson._

 _After a few moments of both of them being surprisingly quiet, Sirius spoke. "Today's Uncle Reg's birthday, love, did you know that?"_

A light sigh passed over his lips as he reminisced, and Andy gripped his elbow, demanding his attention back to the situation at hand. His heart tugged at the dewy eyes and the distress that was buried within them. "I know," he offered simply, hearing the words that were stuck in his cousin's throat, seeing the grief in her eyes. Without thinking about it, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a quick but comforting hug. "Trust me, Andy, I know."

"What was Dumbledore _thinking_?" The rhetorical question wasn't filled with anger, like Sirius' often was, but rather sounded like an actual plea, confused and lost as though she could scarcely believe that one of the heroes of the wizarding world had made such a dire mistake.

Remus glanced at him, but it was lost as Sirius returned his gaze to where Dora and Harry seemed to happily chatting about something, oblivious to the tense discussion they were embroiled in. His niece was gesturing wildly with her hands and his Godson was listening raptly to whatever it was she was dramatizing, his green eyes wide and earnest and almost hopeful.

Sirius guessed that it wasn't far off to assume that Harry hadn't had many friends the past five years.

"…future, right Pads?"

Sirius snapped his head to look at Remus in bemusement. "Huh?"

The werewolf rolled his eyes slightly and despite her shock and hurt, Andy managed a little snicker. "I was _saying_ ," Lupin fixed him with a look that was half-fond, half-exasperated, "that we're trying to put more of our focus on Harry's future. Namely, how we're planning on acclimating Harry to his new life and helping him move on from all this."

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, refocusing on his cousin. "That's not to say that we're not going to address the past, and everything that's happened, but it won't do to let him dwell on that. He's never going to have to go back there, not as long as I've something to say about it."

Andy was nodding, a look of relief slowly replacing the pain and sadness that was there before. "Thank Merlin Lily and James gave you full custody."

"It's certainly made it easier to expedite the process," Lupin nodded in agreement. "Andromeda, the reason we actually wanted to talk to you…"

"Of course," the woman interrupted him, waving a hand dismissively as her gaze traveled to her daughter and the infamous Potter. "It would be our pleasure to babysit him, whenever you need."

Sirius chuckled, far more accustomed to his cousin's scarily accurate instincts than Remus was. "You're a saint, Andy."

"Only seem that way, next to you, Cousin," she shot back, a faint smile on her face. Sirius grinned fondly, realizing in that moment that he had genuinely missed her. Before he could voice that sentiment, Andromeda's attention was captured by the two kids; Dora was now showing Harry her wand and, judging from her expressions, complaining greatly, probably about her inability to use it. Harry was nodding along to what she was saying, his intelligent green eyes seeming to catalogue her every move, even as he allowed himself to smile now and again, at their conversation.

Merlin, he was so mature above his years, sometimes.

Sirius hated the fact that Harry felt the need to be on guard, but he knew that it would be a very long time, if ever, that the child lowered his defenses. It was enough, for now, that he seemed to lower them in front of Remus and Sirius, but they were going to have to work on getting him to trust others as well.

"They seem to be getting along well," Remus voiced the observation they were all silently making. "That's good, I think Harry needs more interaction with people beside us."

Andromeda hummed her assent, before fixing her gaze back on them. "What do you two plan to do about schooling for the boy?"

Sirius exchanged a look with his old friend. Schooling was something that had come up, when they'd talked about handling the rat's escape, and the tentative agreement they'd reached, was that…

"I'll be teaching him from home," Remus answered for them, his tone pleasant, but Sirius knew the man long enough to hear the apprehension mixed with daring at his own suggestion, as though he expected someone to come against him.

As plenty times before, his words were met with a simple nod of acquiescence. "That might be for the best, considering the history the poor boy has stalking him," Andy replied grimly. "I'll see if I have any of Dora's old textbooks, Ted and I had her in muggle school before Hogwarts, you remember."

"We'd appreciate that, Cousin," Sirius nodded, running a hand through his hair. "We'll have to find a way to figure out his level of school, but as soon as we do, that'll be a great help."

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Have you tried _asking_ him, you obstinate heir of Black?" she shot back, her voice blunt, but her eyes affectionate.

Sirius huffed at the old nickname; he'd hated it then, and he hated it now, and yet his cousin had called him that relentlessly _because_ of his desire to forget that he was the first born Black. As much as him and Andy had gotten along, that didn't mean she wasn't a pain in the arse sometimes, too.

"Excuse me if I didn't think asking a _six-year-old_ for advice on his schooling, was a good idea," he shot back with the haughtiest tone he could muster for all the pureblood upbringing he'd had. There was no point in conceding that he hadn't considered the option of asking Harry what his academics had looked like.

Andromeda looked ready to shoot off another retort at him, but as usual, it was Remus who played the mediator. "Okay, that's enough from the both of you. We'll just phone Harry's old school."

The two cousins were quiet for a single moment, contemplating each other and one Remus. J. Lupin.

"Is he always like that? Buzzkill."

"Merlin, Andy, you should've seen him when were in school."

"I hate the both of you."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

"…and well, there's Divination too, but Mum says Professor Trelawney is a total nutter," Tonks finished her little run-down of Hogwarts, pausing to take a deep breath. Harry was somewhat in awe of the sheer amount of words she'd managed to produce within the one breath.

When her words caught up with him, he frowned slightly. "That's not a very nice thing to say," he pointed out, slight disapproval on his face. He didn't want to get into an argument with his new friend, or make her cross with him, but the Potter heir had been bullied for most of his admittedly short life; he knew how much words could hurt, as much as actions, and he didn't like to see anyone else going through it, or doing it to someone else.

"Yeah…" Tonks trailed off, her cheeks colouring slightly as her hair suddenly turned into a light ginger. "I guess you're right about that."

But Harry was far too distracted and thrilled at the unintentional show of magic to react to the acknowledgement. "You changed your hair!" he exclaimed delightedly, eyes sparkling as he practically bounced where he stood. "How'd you do that? But wait!" His excitement dimmed as quickly as it came as he turned worried green eyes on his new cousin. "I thought you said you weren't allowed to do any magic outside of Hogwarts? Are you gonna get into trouble?"

"Nah," Tonks waved it off, grinning brightly again. "I'm a metamorphagus," she explained, obvious pride straining her voice. "It means that I can change my appearance to anything I want. I was born with it, too, so there's no laws against me using that magic."

Harry's concern gave way to excitement once more, but before he could say anything else, the adults made towards them, and as much as he was enjoying his new friend, the green-eyed boy was still happy to see Padfoot and Moony coming back. He positively beamed up at them, stepping towards Sirius.

"Have fun, Prongslet?" his Godfather asked cheerfully, one hand coming up to ruffle his hair. Slowly, Harry was becoming accustomed to such affectionate gestures, so he didn't even flinch away. Distantly, he thought it should've been harder to trust his new guardians, but how could it be? Especially since he remembered how they used to be.

He nodded happily, but was content to let the verbal answer come from Tonks, who had immediately launched into a single-breath explanation of everything they'd been up to, from Harry pointing out that they shouldn't be mean to Professor Trelawney, to all their talk about magic and Hogwarts. Some part of him was worried that the girl was going to pass out before she managed to take another breath, but that worry was promptly annihilated when her mum made her stop and inhale.

Once she did, Tonks beamed up at all the adults, reaching out to take hold of one of Harry's hands. "We decided that we're gonna be cousins too!"

Harry immediately stiffened, afraid he was going to be in trouble for agreeing without any permission. His gaze flew up to his guardians' and without realizing it, his grip on Tonks' hand tightened. Instead of complaining or pulling away, she pulled him closer, throwing an arm around his shoulder as if to shield him from the adults. Looking up in surprise, he even noticed the mutinous glare she sent up at her mum and Padfoot and Moony, as if daring them to scold him.

Huh. He didn't realize cousins were meant to protect each other.

The Potter heir was distracted from his revelation by the chuckling that originated from above them. He felt Tonks relax and subsequently, he did too, especially when he saw the adoring looks that still dominated the expressions of the adults.

Sirius' cousin knelt down, and even though he suspected they weren't in trouble, Harry couldn't turn his instincts off completely; this time, however, instead of cowering, he stepped in front of his new friend. She had protected him, and he was bound and determined to protect her too, if they did happen to be ' _disciplined'_ , as Uncle Vernon had called it.

A soft look appeared on the woman's face. "Hello, Harry," she greeted him warmly, without making any more moves towards them. "I'm Nymphadora's mummy, which makes me your Aunt Andy."

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Harry answered automatically, looking shyly up at the woman. She was pretty – not dissimilar in looks to Draco's mummy, now he thought about it, but she carried it differently. He wasn't sure what he was meant to call her, but if anything, she seemed positively taken with the manner in which he'd addressed her.

"The pleasure is mine, dear," she told him warmly, sending a quick smirk at her cousin before returning her gaze to him. "You've certainly got better manners than your Godfather, haven't you?"

Harry instantly felt defensive of his guardian. "I love Sirius," he stated plaintively. Not much of a defense of Padfoot, even accompanied by an almost reproachful little look on his face, but the man himself positively beamed nonetheless.

For her part, the woman, who'd called herself Andy, laughed. "You are just precious, aren't you? Sirius," she addressed his Godfather as she stood up to her full height again, "I expect you to make visits with your Godson a much more frequent occasion from now on."

"Oh!" Tonks clapped excitedly, and Harry turned his attention back to his new friend and cousin. "Can Harry spend the night sometimes? I could show him all my Hogwarts things!"

The idea of spending a night away from his guardians already felt like a scary prospect, but Harry thought he might be able to do it someday. Tonks seemed like a good friend, and Sirius loved his cousin, so Harry reasoned that they must be good people. After some time, he was sure that he'd have a better read on them personally, and could decide for himself whether they could be trusted.

Logic aside, Harry felt a measure of relief as Moony bent to lift him into his arms.

"Maybe some time," Remus smiled pleasantly as the Potter heir looped his arms around the werewolf's neck. Harry rested his head against Moony's collar, relishing in the safety and warmth. Not so long ago, he'd been scared every single day, running from basically everyone and hurting more often than not. Now? He had not one, but two loving guardians, who protected him and _wanted_ him.

It felt like something that was too good to be true.

Harry only lifted his head when he felt a tug on his arm. Tonks grinned brilliantly at him, arms reaching up for a hug that he happily leaned down to reciprocate, as the adults exchanged goodbyes. Harry didn't hide against Remus' chest when the self-proclaimed Aunt Andy patted his cheek affectionately, but he did shy away a little, flinching automatically at the unfamiliar contact. If Padfoot and Moony were upset for it, they didn't say or show it, as the latter kept Harry in his arms while the former ruffled his hair with a wide grin.

The Potter boy relaxed as they continued to the front of the bank, alone again. "Why are we here?" he asked softly, curiously, tugging slightly on Remus' sleeve to indicate where his question was directed. Moony patiently explained that he wanted to keep some things in safe storage, and that Sirius was the heir in his family, and had to sign some papers to claim his inheritance. Harry cast around in his memory for the things he'd read about inheritances – attributed to a wrong turn in the library and a book on estate law whose author had had a really cool surname – and turned horrified eyes on his Godfather when he realized the implications.

"I'm sorry, Padfoot," he said tremulously, his expression distraught as he reached out for Sirius, all but lunging out of Remus' arms. Sadness filled his emerald orbs, which in turn seemed to distress his caregivers.

Sirius immediately reached out, hands as gentle as always, and cuddled him close. "Sorry for what, pup?" he asked softly, almost cooing at Harry. The six-year-old tightened his arms around the Black heir's neck, his reply muffled from where he'd buried his face in the crook between Sirius' shoulder and throat. "What was that, Harry?"

"Your parents… went away," Harry sniffled, heartbroken green eyes lifting to meet confused grey, as the child leaned back to answer properly. "Like mine did." Harry of all people knew how terrible it was to not have a mum and a dad, and it didn't seem fair that Padfoot had to have that happen to him. Not fair at all! "I'm _sorry_ , Padfoot."

But Sirius didn't seem like he felt as bad as Harry sometimes felt. On the contrary, his Godfather was grinning fondly, a soft look in his eyes, and though he wasn't entirely sure how it was supposed to work, the Potter heir thought that they weren't ever meant to be _happy_ when talking about such a terrible thing.

Padfoot dipped his head and dropped a kiss against Harry's forehead. "Thank you, puppy," he said tenderly, his smile still soft and warm. "But it's okay. _I'm_ okay."

"Aren't you sad?" Harry asked, perplexed. He was glad that Sirius had given him permission to ask questions, because this was making no sense to the child, and he felt like maybe he was missing some information.

Evidently, he was, because Padfoot hesitated, looking over at Moony before answering. "My parents… they weren't very nice people, Prongslet," he finally settled, one hand absently carding through Harry's unruly hair.

For a long moment, the child pondered this, then in a voice far too mature for his age, he solemnly stated. "They hurt you." It wasn't really much of a question, but before his guardians could confirm or deny anything, Harry asked in a small voice, "Like Uncle Vernon hurt me?"

The thought horrified the young child; he didn't want to believe that anyone had done to his beloved Godfather what they had done to him, simply because there was no part of him that believed Sirius was anything other than good, which meant he certainly couldn't have deserved it. To his everlasting relief, however, his guardian shook his head.

"Not like that, pup," Sirius murmured, and Harry somehow knew that the pained look on his face had more to do with Harry's past than Sirius' own.

After thinking about it another moment, the Potter heir nodded. "There's lots of different kinds of hurts," he said sagely, thinking about his aunt and the pain she'd inflicted upon him without ever raising a hand. Those ones, the ones that only showed inside of them, sometimes pained worse than the hurts that people could see. He knew that much.

What he didn't know, was why both his guardians looked ready to shed tears at his words.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

 _Prongs, you're never going to forgive me for the things your little troublemaker suffered through._

Even as the thought crossed his mind, Sirius knew he was never going to forgive himself, leave alone James and Lily's reactions to the abuse the little boy had endured. This child – this precious little boy – had been their beacon of light. Someone to love and adore, someone to remind them of the good in the world when they became blinded by the blood of war. Harry had been _theirs,_ in a way that shouldn't have worked, but somehow did. He was their little Marauder, their Prongslet, their entire world. And yet, for all their love, for how hard they had tried to protect him, in the end, it had been one of their own to ruin their lives. All their lives. But allowing Harry to suffer double the hurt, double the pain?

That wasn't only on Wormtail. That was on him and Moony, too. Choosing the paths they had chosen, it was as much their fault, as it was the treacherous rat's. For that, Sirius didn't see forgiveness as part of his near or immediate future.

Especially during times like this, when Harry seemed so mature beyond his years. Here was this little boy, understanding that hurt and abuse came in many different forms, when not so long ago, Sirius could remember them trying to teach Harry his first words…

" _Come on, Harry, say 'Mama'… Can you say 'Mama', baby?"_

 _James and Sirius grinned at each other, both Marauders amused at the amount of effort Lily was expending trying to get her son to call her Mama._

" _Muh… 'ily Fow'r!"_

 _At the sound of James' nickname for Lily, coming from his Godson's mouth, Sirius couldn't help the snort that escaped his lips. He found it impossibly funny that the toddler had picked up on their nicknames rather than listening to what they actually tried to teach him, and James had nearly passed out laughing when Harry had first called his mother 'Lily-flower'. Unfortunately, a certain redhead didn't seem to find it as amusing as they did, and his laughter managed to attract her attention._

 _Lily whirled around, hands going to her hips while Harry giggled delightedly behind her. "This is all your faults!" she huffed at them. Sirius was outright snickering now, but to his credit, James was still trying his hardest to keep a straight face. "You've all corrupted my baby!"_

 _In any other instance, Sirius might have offered a token defense, but it was completely true. The child's first word had been 'Pa'ff'; a particularly memorable moment for him, and perhaps it was the light sheen of tears that shimmered in his eyes, but Lily and James weren't even that peeved when they realized that his nickname had come before their titles._

 _His second word had been directed towards his father, but it wasn't 'Dada', or even 'Da'. It was, of course, in keeping with the theme, a gleefully gurgled 'P'on's', followed by an equally enthusiastic 'Moo!', when Remus had followed James inside. And then no later than the following morning, had come the name they'd all been waiting for._

 _Lily wasn't nearly as thrilled as they were, that Harry was sticking to his trend._

" _Come on, Lily-flo… Lil," James quickly amended, grinning ruefully when Sirius finally threw his head back in a bark-like laugh. "You've got to admit, it's sort of adorable!"_

 _Lily huffed again, apparently still not seeing the humour in the situation. "James, he can't be calling us by our nicknames, it's ridiculous!" The redhead adopted a stern expression and comically on time, Remus walked in. "You three!" she pointed at them in turn, the glint in her eyes making no secret of the consequences that awaited them if her word was not obeyed. "Fix this!"_

" _What mess did you two make that I'm meant to be fixing this time?" Remus asked dryly, raising an eyebrow at James and Sirius._

" _I resent that. Why do you just assume I was involved?"_

 _Moony smirked at Sirius and the dog-animagus found it difficult to maintain a straight face. "That's what I thought," the werewolf nodded to himself when Sirius cracked and smirked back._

 _Lily explained her dilemma to the most sensible of their little group, and Remus was doing a much better job than James and Sirius had, sympathizing with the irate mother. They all fell silent, however, as Remus approached Harry. "Moo!"_

" _Hello, Harry, always a pleasure to see you again, cub." As was customary for the Marauders now, Harry gave Lupin a kiss on his cheek as he was lifted out of his booster seat and settled on his hip. "Alright," Remus addressed Harry as seriously as if the toddler were one of them, "you've got your mum in a right state about this name business, you know? To be expected, of course, you being a mini-Marauder, heir to our legacy, and all that, but let's cut your poor mum some slack, yeah? With all the pranking you'll be doing in the future, let's just give her this one, okay?"_

 _Harry had stayed remarkably quiet through Remus' entire little talk, a solemn look in his green eyes. "Moo." The toddler finally offered his voice, but it sounded more like a definitive statement than an address._

" _I think so too, cub, quite right." Remus nodded sagely, kissing Harry's forehead and walking to the table with Harry still in his arms. As soon as he was close enough, the baby reached out across the table, making grabby hands at his parents._

" _Mama! Da!"_

 _Lily's groan of disbelief was completely drowned as James and Sirius hit the floor laughing._

The memory made Sirius want to laugh and cry in equal measure. It never should have been like this. It was never supposed to have happened this way.

"You're very right, cub." Remus, it seemed, hadn't lost himself in the past, like Sirius had. He had managed to keep a level head, but the weary and sympathetic look in his amber eyes told Padfoot that it had been a close call, even for the normally controlled werewolf.

Harry seemed vastly unaffected by his own misfortune; despite everything that he had been through, the child was still just that. A child. A little boy. He had too big a heart to hate, or to dwell on the darkness of his past. He was still young and optimistic enough to look towards the future.

A lesson that Sirius could do well, learning, he realized abruptly. How was he going to raise Harry and give him the life that he deserved, if he was always getting caught up in the injustices of the past? Wasn't it wiser to simply let things go? Not that he expected it would be as easy as that, but where was the harm in trying?

He had spent such a long time being angry and bitter. His whole life, more or less, ever since he realized that he shared a very different viewpoint than his family. When was that anger going to subside?

His thoughts were interrupted by little arms encircling his neck once more, and a puff of warm breath hitting his neck. "Don't worry, Padfoot. Me and Moony'll protect you."

Sirius laughed thickly at the childlike reassurance; there was no way Harry could have known that he had repeated the words of James Potter, verbatim, albeit some 10 years prior. Knowing that Remus had caught on to the repeated words the same way he had, the dog animagus did nothing except to cuddle his baby Godson closer still.

"My little hero."

8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

It took a while for Sirius to get out of the funk he'd slipped into, since the visit to Gringotts, but Remus was happy to see that his friend was slowly becoming his normal, animated self as they walked Harry around Diagon Alley. By the time they were passing Quality Quiddich Supplies, in fact, the man was completely fine, and actively trying to persuade him that introducing Harry to Quiddich at such a young age was completely okay.

The werewolf tended to disagree.

It wasn't the fact that Harry was so small, even for his age, or the fanaticism that Sirius could display when it came to the wizarding world's favourite sport. He didn't have a problem with either of those things, as a matter of fact. No, it was the part where Harry would be flying hundreds of feet above the ground with nothing to stop him from going ' _splat'_ if he so much as faltered in his grip, that Remus wasn't really alright with.

And he was absolutely _not_ being a drama queen, despite what Sirius may have thought.

When Moony found himself dragging his feet inside the busy store, he was forced to conclude that he had severely underestimated the sheer force of Harry's puppy dog eyes.

The little boy, upon realizing that his father had been crazy about the sport, had all but begged to be part of it, too. Remus was so ecstatic that Harry had been comfortable enough (or, more likely, caught up in excitement enough) to actually ask them for something, that he couldn't bring himself to deny the request. In retrospect, there were other concerns to occupy his mind, aside from the obvious; like, would Harry have the aptitude for Quiddich, or had he inherited his mother's flying talent? Would Sirius compare him to James, and wreck his confidence? What about falling off his broom and going ' _splat'_?

It warranted repeating that one.

"Come off it, Moony," Sirius laughed, when he relayed his worries. "You're talking like someone's gonna jinx his broom to throw him off, or charm a Bludger to target him. It's crazy."

Remus huffed in response. "I _know_ none of those things could happen," he defended himself with a roll of his eyes. "That's just ridiculous. You're making perfectly valid concerns out to be ridiculous."

While the two remaining Marauders bickered (mostly) good-naturedly, Remus failed to notice a wide-eyed Harry stepping away from them and further into the shop, but when he did, a soft smile found his face.

The Potter heir was looking around in sheer amazement and unfiltered joy; the kind of joy that couldn't have been faked or mimicked or adopted from Sirius or James themselves. It was a wholly different type of wonder than the one he'd displayed thus far; in fact, the brightness in those green orbs was eerily similar to Lily's when she'd discover a new Charms book or encounter an interesting brew in Potions.

Magic of a different kind.

Maybe one of those concerns had been unfounded, after all.

It was intriguing to uncover all these little aspects of the Potter heir; the parts of Prongs, combined with the parts of Lily, added to the parts that were purely and simply Harry. He was a child unlike anything that Remus could have predicted or presumed, and not for the first time, he wondered what things might have been like if James and Lily had survived that fateful night in Godric's Hollow, if they'd been the ones to raise this wonderful, loving baby boy.

The fairytale, meant for a happy ending, had instead been abruptly concluded, robbed of its magic. It didn't seem remotely fair that Harry had suffered for a longer time than he'd known love; that two of the kindest souls in the world had to be cut down in their prime, while monsters like Fenrir Greyback lived on.

But Remus had learned early on, that life wasn't always fair.

All they could do now, was try to make things better. If that included encouraging a dangerous passion that could make Harry go ' _splat'_ … well, then, Remus was just going to have to make peace with that.

Or find a charm that could turn the entire pitch into a soft, cushy mattress.

Hey, why not use some of that magic they were gifted with?

Disrupted from his thoughts by Harry's giggles, the werewolf was amused to look up and find the Potter Heir resting comfortably upon Sirius' shoulders. Godfather and godson both looked remarkably better than they had a week ago; already, the love between the pair was beginning to heal them, inside and out. Sirius no longer looked like a haunted shell of his former self, and Harry no longer looked like he was going to jump the minute someone brushed past him. Sirius was laughing again, and Harry was talking, talking freely, to them.

It was incredible, the difference they made in each other's lives.

Moony wasn't without his own changes. Harry being with them had a way of making him forget his own demons, and focus on the joy around him rather than dwell on the misfortunes of the past. There was a very unique happiness in being reunited after all these years; guilt that he didn't even know he was carrying – guilt from letting Lily and James down five years ago – quelled, absent now as though it were never there. Even with the constant storm cloud over them, from Harry's abuse, things were better.

They were getting fixed.

Everything was going to be alright after all. They were going to protect Harry, and find the rat, Pettigrew, and nothing was going to happen to their beloved lit-…

"Oi, Remus! Think Harry's grown enough to handle a Nimbus yet?"

Nothing was going to be alright, Moony amended his thoughts as he paled drastically, because he was going to kill Padfoot and then have to hide the body from Harry.

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 _Wretched little creature, so pampered and spoiled…_

He'd ruined everything, first by being born, and then again fifteen months later. What was so special about the little brat? Everyone had fallen head over heels for the termite, even Padfoot… or rather, most _especially_ Padfoot. For Merlin's sake, they'd been in the middle of the war! And yet, four of the most qualified members of the Order had been crazy with baby fever.

He had been the only one to keep his wits about him.

Switching sides had been a difficult choice, but it had to be made. If he'd thought for a moment that his friends would have seen reason, then he'd never have left them behind. But no… all of them, they'd had things so easy, all the time. Except perhaps Remus, but then he was so blinded with gratitude for everyone else overlooking his furry little problem, that he was much too entrenched on Dumbledore's side.

He… he knew what it was like. He knew how the desperation of wanting – no, _needing_ – to fit in, to be accepted. He'd had to work for his place, in everything, which was why he could so easily see that they were fighting on the wrong side.

The only regret lay in being unable to convince his friends of the same thing.

Peter Pettigrew, disguised in his animagus form, watched with mounting fury as the little brat giggled and beamed from where he was seated on Sirius' shoulders. Obviously, nothing had changed. He was just as spoiled as ever. It had probably gotten worse, even, since losing Prongs and Lily.

How he missed them. Even in their unfortunate lapse of good sense, in boring that child, Peter had loved them. James had been his protector once, and Lily, as kind to him as a mother might be.

It was all the child's fault, what had happened to them. What had befallen their entire group.

Peter had made the mistake of not trying hard enough to prove that to Lily and James, and now they were gone. He couldn't allow the same fate to come to his last two friends. He had to make them see sense, had to show them where true power laid… where real victory laid. Because the Light had won the battle, but not the war. No, that was still ongoing, whether they knew it or not.

And it would take them away, the same way the Potters were taken, if Wormtail couldn't convince them. The only way, he knew, to get them to reason with him, was to take the brainwashing element out of the equation.

Little Harry Potter.

Killing him, or capturing him, would strike two birds with the same stone. The Dark Lord would be pleased with him, and his position would skyrocket, perhaps even overtaking Malfoy, or Bellatrix. He would finally have some power, and with that power, he might be able to make Padfoot and Moony finally come around.

All he had to do, was take the boy.

Beady little eyes gleamed maliciously as its unsuspecting target laughed, carefree, a few meters away. Pettigrew scowled internally before turning away and scampering off into the closest drain, lest someone see him.

He had some planning to do.

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A/N2: Flashbacks were abound in this chapter! Hope y'all enjoyed… I haven't forgotten about Ker, don't worry, but we will be integrating into the first action of the story soon, which is Pettigrew. Some surprise characters coming soon, and a change in scenery for our young hero… stick with me!

Love,

Rissa xoxo


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